Linguist staffs

Carved wooden staffs of the Akan people of Africa. They are surmounted by carved finials of various figures, often covered in gold leaf, representing at least one proverbial saying. Held and displayed by the chief counselors of paramount chiefs at public events, they serve as the badges of office of those counselors and their proverbial subject matter refers to the continuity and political dominance of chief and state, the responsibilities of the chief, and the appropriate and wise behavior of the chief's subjects.