Ashanti Linguist's Staff Depicting a Turtle, Based

Striped, banded pole climbs to a small creature on a yellow tray.

This linguist’s staff depicting a turtle is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved & painted wood. The Okyeame, or linguist, spoke for Ashanti chiefs, who traditionally never addressed their people directly, and generally recast a chief's words as proverbs meant to instruct, inform and entertain. Long slender shaft painted in bands of blue, yellow, green and black, with twisted sections and small rings along its length. At the top, a little creature sits on a flat yellow platform. A square metal foot holds it upright. It is 9 inches wide, 6 deep and 60 high.

All that pattern, and a tiny animal waiting at the summit.