Counselor's staff "okyeame poma" · Ghana, Akan, Asante (Ashanti) · ID: 3048961
not available anymore
Provenance
Totem Meneghelli Gallery, Germiston, South Africa (1981)H. G. Steffens, Kempton Park, South Africa
Hans Wende, Düsseldorf, Germany
Alfons Bermel, Berlin, Germany
Size
H: 38 cm
H: 15.0 inch
Description
wood, 7-pcs., remnants of gold leaf, paint, metal, rest., base
These sculpted and gold plated staffs are one of the most visible objects of Akan royal regalia. They are carried by advisors and counselors to the king and serve as a sign of their office.
The sculpted motifs crowning the staffs visualise proverbs or sayings, historical events or political statements that the ruler and the state wish to be known. The “okyeame” advise the king on tradtional law, speak for him in public and act as ambassadors when needed.
Comparing literature
Cole, Herbert M. & Doran H. Ross, The Arts of Ghana, Los Angeles 1977, p. 164