Linguist staff with elaborate gold-leafed finial, Anna village, Ivory Coast

"The range of proverbial themes depicted by linguist staffs is very great. Each of these was intended to convey some moral message to the beholder. During the colonial period the French sought to consolidate their authority over the peoples of the south-eastern region by creating district and cantonal chiefs. Though untraditional, these offices have survived, and their occupants have increasingly sought to gain status by adopting Akan-style regalia (as have the few traditional paramount chiefs in the region)." [Timothy F. Garrard, 1989: Gold of Africa, Prestel]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.