gold-weight
- Museum number
- Af1954,23.2147
- Description
-
Lost wax cast figurative gold-weight, in brass, in the form of a squatting male figure holding a bird (possibly a chicken?) by the neck prepatory to sacrificing it over a suman which is placed in front of him on a small stand. The base is flat and rectangular in shape.
- Production date
- 18thC-20thC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 3 centimetres
-
Weight: 21.48 grammes
-
Width: 1.75 centimetres
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Depth: 4 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- This weight represents a man sacrificing a fowl to one of the best known charms in Ashanti, the nkabere charm. The Kyekyere Nkabere charm (lit. to tie or bind the nkabere) was a common rite carried out throughout the Asante region during the pre-colonial and early colonial era. During the ceremony a priest sacrifices a fowl over the nkabere charm which consists of three sticks: a stick from the tree known as bonsam dua (lit. the wizard's tree), a piece of root from a tree called akwamea, taken from where it crosses a path and a stick from the tree called adwin. These sticks are placed upon the ground, or sometimes upon an inverted pot, along with some pieces out of a sweeping broom. A piece of string is placed on top of all. The priest now retires a few paces and then advances towards the charm with his hands behind his back, crossing one leg over the other as he walks. When he reaches the charm he stands with legs crossed, with his hands behind his back, crossing one leg over the other as he walks. When he reaches the charm he stands legs crossed, with his hands still behind his back, and stooping down sprays pepper and guinea grain - which he has in his mouth- over the charm saying: 'My entwining charm Nkadomako (a title of a God) who seizes strong men, mosquito that trips up the great silk-cotton tree, shooting stars that live with the Supreme Being, I have to tell you that so-and so are coming here about some matter.' Here he takes his arms from behind his back and, stooping down, picks up the sticks and twine. Making a little bundle of the sticks he begins to bind them along with the broom sticks, saying as he does so: 'I bind up their mouths. I bind up their souls, and their gods. I begin from Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.' As he repeats each day he gives a twist of the string round the sticks to keep it from unravelling, ending by saying: 'Whoever comes may this be a match for them.' From time to time a fowl will be offered to this c harm (suman). The priest will advance upon it with crossed legs and hands held behind his back and perhaps with a whistle in his mouth, to call up the spirits and will stand over the charm with legs crossed. He then holds the fowl by the neck and blows the whistle before killing it and allowing the blood to drop on the bundle of sticks (see Rattray, 1923, 310-11).
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Good.
- Acquisition date
- 1954
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Af1954,23.2147
- Additional IDs
-
Previous owner/ex-collection number: 241625 (Wellcome Collection Number)