LINGUIST STAFFS are common to this day. It is a striking to behold a procession of chiefs arriving for a durbar (ceremonial gathering), each riding in a palanquin or walking beneath a huge umbrella, each led by his linguist carrying the gold-encrusted staff of his domain. A linguist is second in royal importance only to the chief. He is the chief’s public voice, as one must often speak through him in order to communicate with the chief.
LINGUIST STAFFS are rich in symbolism, with probably the second greatest variety of imagery in Ghanaian art after gold weights. They symbolize the chief’s power, often depicted in animal form. The tops of LINGUIST STAFFS, sometimes the entire staff, are gilded.
The two LINGUIST STAFF figure groups to the right illustrate the parable, “The boy does not know the lion,” an allusion to naivete in the face of danger. NOTE: the figure groups on both staffs don’t necessarily match the poles they are attached to.