Asante, Ghana
Description
Linguist Staff
20th C.
wood
63 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 5 in.
Black wood staff topped with snail, turtle and gun on platform. Rather than directly addressing his people, a chief relies on the oratorical skills of the okyeame, or linguist, to convey his ideas and dictums. The linguist also serves as principal advisor to the chief and weighs in on political, military and judicial matters. The staff is symbolic of this important position and the carved finial represents a proverb referring to the chief and state. The proverb associated with this staff is one regarding pacifism: if it were only for the snail and the tortoises the gun would not fire in the forest.
Date
20th C.
Creator
Asante, Ghana
Source
Gift of John and Andrea Rich
Identifier
1986.427
Collection
Citation
Asante, Ghana, “Asante, Ghana,” UCSB ADA Museum Omeka, accessed December 7, 2024, http://art-collections.museum.ucsb.edu/items/show/14350.