Ashanti Linguist's Staff Depicting 3 Parrots, Based

Three parrots, and one of them has something in its beak. Make of that what you will. An Ashanti elder certainly would.

The spokesman of a chief carried a staff whose finial illustrated a proverb. This one was carved in Ghana in the 20th century. Two green parrots with red cheeks and tails flank a gray parrot holding something in its beak, all standing on a yellow square platform above a faceted yellow collar. The paint shows wear and small losses. Over five feet tall.

Lean it where visitors will pass. Let them guess the proverb.