Osei Bonsu
Linguist Staff Finial depicting a Man Caught in a Trap

ArtistAsante, 1900–1977
CultureAsante peoples
Titles
  • Linguist Staff Finial depicting a Man Caught in a Trap
Date1920–1930
PlaceGhana, Africa
MediumWood and gold leaf
DimensionsOverall: 15 1/2 × 4 1/2 × 4 1/4in. (39.4 × 11.4 × 10.8cm)
Credit LineGift of Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.
Object number97.1274
Non exposé

Explore Further

ProvenanceAlfred C. Glassell, Jr. (1913–2008), Houston, before 1997; given to MFAH, 1997.
Exhibition History"The Private Eye: Selected Works from Collections of Friends of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 10, 1989–August 13, 1989.

"African Gold From The Glassell Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,"
State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, December 3, 2001–March 3, 2002; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, March 13–September 19, 2004; Louisiana State University Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, February 18–May 31, 2005; Museum of Fine Art, Boston, November 2, 2005–March 26, 2006; National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C., May 26, 2006–November 26, 2006; Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Art, Spring, Texas, July 26–November 2, 2008; Beeville Art Museum, Texas, September 17, 2011–January 7, 2012.

"The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana," Dallas Museum of Art, April 15–August 22, 2018.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscription: .

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Linguist Staff with Finial Representing a Man Holding an Egg
Osei Bonsu
1947–1956
Wood and gold leaf
97.1267.A-.D
Linguist Staff with Finial of a Whale with a Man in its Mouth
Osei Bonsu
c. 1930–1950
Wood and gold leaf
97.1281.A-.D
Linguist Staff with Finial Representing a Bird and a Crab
Osei Bonsu
1945–1960
Wood and gold leaf
97.1289.1,.2
Linguist Staff with Finial Representing a Man Scraping Bark from a Tree
Osei Bonsu
1920–1978
Wood and gold leaf
97.1297.1,.2
Linguist Staff with Finial Representing a Sasabonsám
Osei Bonsu
1935–1945
Wood and gold leaf
97.1294.A-.C
Linguist Staff Finial Representing Two Men Sitting on Stools
Osei Bonsu
1945-1960
Wood and gold leaf
97.1298
Linguist Staff Finial Representing a Termite Hill, Monkey, and Antelope
1945–1960
Wood, gold leaf, and wire staples
97.1268
Linguist Staff Finial of Ananse the Spider
1895–1905
Wood and gold leaf
97.1269
Linguist Staff Finial Representing a Pineapple
1850–1900
Wood, gold leaf
97.1270