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

colin henshaw · 18th December 2009, 03:53 PM

Hi David

Apologies for a late post on this topic - but I've come across an article on Asante brass casting in an old "African Arts" journal. Here are a couple of extracts you might like to see.

Regards.

katana · 19th December 2009, 03:30 PM

Hi Tim and Colin

,

thank you both for the added information, it's appreciated.

I would assume that this would be difficult to date, are there any clues in the manufacture, patina, design...that could help me give it an approximate age ?

I also wondered whether any one could PM me, if they have any idea as to value (for insurance purposes) I think I got it at a 'good price' but not being knowledgeable in this type of object I don't know for sure.

Best Regards David

Tim Simmons · 19th December 2009, 08:23 PM

David I think your box is from the first half of the 20th century. If you make a study of cast brass, gold weights, a latter style is clearly displayed in your box.

I am posting a few more pictures from the afore mentioned book. I hope that is okay with the mods and legality if not then it can always be deleted. A better close up of the croc sword ornament which is 800g of high purity gold and exquisitely modelled. Also a gold double croc decoration the handle is gold leaf gilt wood. Much new regalia was made on the return from exile of the ruler in 1924? The black and white picture is from 1888, I find the drum more interesting.

Tim Simmons · 19th December 2009, 08:41 PM

Look at the second example in this link-

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=consencous

Compare to this cropped picture of a painting in the afore mentioned book. The the Dutch artist Albert Eckhout painted this man from the Akan Kingdom of Fetu in 1641. The actual sword he used for his model exists in the National Museum of Denmark. There is no record of these swords being used for anything else other than state emblems.

katana · 19th December 2009, 09:26 PM

Thanks Tim,
for the addition info

..... I'm quite happy with this being dated the first half of the 20th Century, I suspected a similar time frame but it was a 'guesstimate'.

Regards David

Atlantia · 20th December 2009, 04:50 PM

Hi David,

Sorry to be another late comer to the thread.
Thought you might want to see another smaller example of Ashanti 'gold dust' vessels.
If you remember I came to these when I bought one a while back described laughably as 'war paint pot' or some hokum.
Anyhow, pretty soon afterwards I acquired this absolute stunner, so I decided to part with the first one.
Have a look at the colouring in the recesses of the patterning. It appears to have been some kind of crude enamelling or other coloured infill. There looks like there might have been black and green too in other areas (the black might just have been under the other colours), although it seems to have degraded to the point of disintigration.
The patina is lovely, and the detail much finer than usual. I'd guess the date to be into the 19thC, but thats a guess.

Gene

18th December 2009, 03:53 PM	#1
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,429	Hi David Apologies for a late post on this topic - but I've come across an article on Asante brass casting in an old "African Arts" journal. Here are a couple of extracts you might like to see. Regards. Attached Images

19th December 2009, 08:23 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,843	Back to swords. David I think your box is from the first half of the 20th century. If you make a study of cast brass, gold weights, a latter style is clearly displayed in your box. I am posting a few more pictures from the afore mentioned book. I hope that is okay with the mods and legality if not then it can always be deleted. A better close up of the croc sword ornament which is 800g of high purity gold and exquisitely modelled. Also a gold double croc decoration the handle is gold leaf gilt wood. Much new regalia was made on the return from exile of the ruler in 1924? The black and white picture is from 1888, I find the drum more interesting. Attached Images

19th December 2009, 08:41 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,843	Matching swords, Look at the second example in this link- http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=consencous Compare to this cropped picture of a painting in the afore mentioned book. The the Dutch artist Albert Eckhout painted this man from the Akan Kingdom of Fetu in 1641. The actual sword he used for his model exists in the National Museum of Denmark. There is no record of these swords being used for anything else other than state emblems. Attached Images

19th December 2009, 03:30 PM	#2
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Hi Tim and Colin , thank you both for the added information, it's appreciated. I would assume that this would be difficult to date, are there any clues in the manufacture, patina, design...that could help me give it an approximate age ? I also wondered whether any one could PM me, if they have any idea as to value (for insurance purposes) I think I got it at a 'good price' but not being knowledgeable in this type of object I don't know for sure. Best Regards David

19th December 2009, 09:26 PM	#5
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Thanks Tim, for the addition info ..... I'm quite happy with this being dated the first half of the 20th Century, I suspected a similar time frame but it was a 'guesstimate'. Regards David

20th December 2009, 04:50 PM	#6
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Hi David, Sorry to be another late comer to the thread. Thought you might want to see another smaller example of Ashanti 'gold dust' vessels. If you remember I came to these when I bought one a while back described laughably as 'war paint pot' or some hokum. Anyhow, pretty soon afterwards I acquired this absolute stunner, so I decided to part with the first one. Have a look at the colouring in the recesses of the patterning. It appears to have been some kind of crude enamelling or other coloured infill. There looks like there might have been black and green too in other areas (the black might just have been under the other colours), although it seems to have degraded to the point of disintigration. The patina is lovely, and the detail much finer than usual. I'd guess the date to be into the 19thC, but thats a guess. Gene