GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The finial on this linguist staff depicts a man climbing a tree with help from another man. The image refers to an Asante proverb that states, “One who climbs a good tree always gets a push.” The proverb suggests that if a chief’s intentions are good and fair, he will have the support of his people. A ruler owns several linguist staffs and displays the one that best visualizes the message he wishes to convey to his people at a particular time.
For centuries, linguists have served Asante kings and chiefs not only as translators but also as their counselors, ambassadors, political troubleshooters, military attachés, and historians. The linguist staff is their official symbol.
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
NOTES
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
From at least 1980-2003: Morton Dimonstein Family, Los Angeles
2003-2008: Norman Hurst, Hurst Gallery, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2010: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., purchased from Pace Primitive, New York [1]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is "Acquisition Justification," in the Collections Records object file.
[1] Works of art given or purchased by The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc, a non-profit organization, are placed in the custody of the DMA for the purposes of public display on the premises of the Museum or in other recognized art galleries or museums. The title to all works of art purchased (or otherwise acquired ) by the McDermott Art Fund remains with the Fund.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
CONTEXTUAL IMAGE ASSETS
Linguists and their staffs at Enyon Abassa, Fante, 1974
From Herbert M. Cole and Doran H. Ross, The Arts of Ghana (Los Angeles:
University of California, Museum of Cultural History, 1984), 158.
UMO: 207176746
WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
apply to objects where number equals 2010.1.McD
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
The finial on this linguist staff depicts a man climbing a tree with help from another man. The image refers to an Asante proverb that states, “One who climbs a good tree always gets a push.” The proverb suggests that if a chief’s intentions are good and fair, he will have the support of his people. A ruler owns several linguist staffs and displays the one that best visualizes the message he wishes to convey to his people at a particular time.
For centuries, linguists have served Asante kings and chiefs not only as translators but also as their counselors, ambassadors, political troubleshooters, military attachés, and historians. The linguist staff is their official symbol.
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
From at least 1980-2003: Morton Dimonstein Family, Los Angeles
2003-2008: Norman Hurst, Hurst Gallery, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2010: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., purchased from Pace Primitive, New York [1]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is "Acquisition Justification," in the Collections Records object file.
[1] Works of art given or purchased by The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc, a non-profit organization, are placed in the custody of the DMA for the purposes of public display on the premises of the Museum or in other recognized art galleries or museums. The title to all works of art purchased (or otherwise acquired ) by the McDermott Art Fund remains with the Fund.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
CONTEXTUAL
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
2010.1.McD
source file
object_notes_2_d-0287.xml.nores