African Non-weapon, please can anyone ID origin and symbolism

Tim Simmons · 7th December 2009, 09:43 AM

Looks cast in one piece and a nice casting. Fine modelling in bees wax is hard work, heat from your hands can make the surface of the wax sort of scummy and rough.

This box could well come from many cultures along the trade coast. Symbolism can be complex and vary. However in general on domestic items there is usually a simple meaning of good fortune, rather like bats on Chinese artefacts. You could see the turtle as longevity and the croc quite simply as good luck. The turtle can be long lived and wise. The crocodile in this case I suspect is used to express adaptability in life to take opportunity when it knocks. The Crocodile has the ability to live in water and land and indeed take prey when ever the opportunity arises{a little scary}. This is a most simple answer. In other areas the crocodile is also a royal/chiefly symbol which can be convey a very different twist to good fortune. There are some really good books on Akan and Ashanti amongst others gold work, which show the skilled wax work {rather pricey sadly}.

7th December 2009, 09:43 AM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,843	Looks cast in one piece and a nice casting. Fine modelling in bees wax is hard work, heat from your hands can make the surface of the wax sort of scummy and rough. This box could well come from many cultures along the trade coast. Symbolism can be complex and vary. However in general on domestic items there is usually a simple meaning of good fortune, rather like bats on Chinese artefacts. You could see the turtle as longevity and the croc quite simply as good luck. The turtle can be long lived and wise. The crocodile in this case I suspect is used to express adaptability in life to take opportunity when it knocks. The Crocodile has the ability to live in water and land and indeed take prey when ever the opportunity arises{a little scary}. This is a most simple answer. In other areas the crocodile is also a royal/chiefly symbol which can be convey a very different twist to good fortune. There are some really good books on Akan and Ashanti amongst others gold work, which show the skilled wax work {rather pricey sadly}.