disc pendant;
soul disc
- Museum number
- Af1959,06.1
- Title
- Series: Asante Gold
- Description
-
A lost wax casting in gold of a plain bi-facial disc pendant (akrafokonmu). The disc is composed of two separate coiled discs, with circular apertures at their centres, which have been fused back to back over a central central suspension tube.
- Production date
- 19thC (?)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 4.50 centimetres
-
Weight: 23.06 grammes
-
Depth: 0.60 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Ornaments of this type and method of manufacture are more commonly associated with the Baule of Cote d’Ivoire rather than Asante art. This may indicate that some sort of contact was maintained between the two peoples after 1730 when the Baule emigrated westwards to their present location. The technique capitalises upon the textural interest created by allowing the original wax thread construction of the model to show through on the finished piece. These circular pendants are called senze (setting sun) or talie by the Baule.
Pendants in this form appear to have been worn by the Asantehene's servants known as akra (soul-washers) although fewer of them are known. It is quite likely that this ornament was worn as a pendant at major public festivals as an item of courtly display.
This disc was created from two discs that were made by coiling threads of wax around themselves and then fusing them back to back over a central core rod. Two additional threads of wax were folded over the resultant circle adjacent to the tube ends in order to reinforce the overall structure. The suspension lugs were reinforced with slightly thicker threads of wax.
There is a patch soldered to the outer edge of the disc which failed to cast properly.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1980 Sept., London, BM, Asante: Kingdom of Gold
- Condition
- Good.
- Acquisition date
- 1959
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Af1959,06.1
