Lobi (Ghana) Staff Wood

Depending on the nuances of a particular West African culture, African staffs have various purposes. In the majority of African societies, figural staffs are both utilitarian objects and symbols of prestige and social status. Some suggest that the staff extends the body of the person carrying it and projects a stature physically larger and more powerful than others. In many African cultures, the staff is a symbol of authority, often carried by linguists or chiefs. In other contexts, a staff can play an important role in a funerary ritual.