Ashanti Linguist's Staff Depicting Male Stepping on Stool

Carved man stands one foot up on a stool, arm stretched out.

This linguist’s staff depicting male stepping on stool is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved & painted wood. Carved wooden stools are central to Ashanti culture and integral to spiritual customs, as the Ashanti believed a person's soul inhabited his or her stool. Standing figure with narrow shoulders and a long face, one foot on a small four-legged stool, one arm extended with a fist closed. The base is a round plinth with zigzag cuts, on a fluted shaft in warm brown. It is 3.5 inches wide, 4 deep and 63.5 high.

Mid-stride forever, and perfectly happy about the stool.