dish;
mount;
disc pendant;
soul disc(?)
- Museum number
- Af1973,07.2
- Title
- Series: Asante Gold
- Description
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Silver gilt dish with bands of concentric decoration comprising elaborate applied relief motifs and gadrooning, made by Garrard & Co to incorporate in the centre a gold uni-facial Asante star-shaped pendant (akrafokonmu). The inner border of foliate ornament has been specially designed to echo the ornament on the Asante pendant.
- Production date
- 1874
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 615 millimetres (dish)
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Diameter: 10.10 centimetres (star pendant only)
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Height: 2.40 centimetres (central boss of star pendant only)
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Depth: 70 millimetres (dish)
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Depth: 1.20 centimetres (star pendant only)
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
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The whole of the gold treasure forming the indemnity paid by the Asante King was bought and exhibited by Garrard's in 1874. The dish was presumably made to create a dramatic object for display with the gold badge (Af1973,07.1) as its centrepiece. The gold was being sold to create a fund to provide pensions for the families of the expedition's dead and wounded. For further discussion of the Garrard's display and purchasers of other objects, see C. Gere and J. Culme, 'Garrard. The Crown Jewellers for 150 Years', London 1993, pp.36-37. See also C. Gere and J. Rudoe, 'Jewellery in the age of Queen Victoria, London, British Museum 2010, pp. 198-9 and notes 8-11.
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The finer detailing on the star-shaped Asante soul badge may have been created using thread or plant fibres as it is too minute and crisp tohave been modelled in wax.
The centre of the reverse of the soul badge has been removed leaving only the underside of the suspension lugs and points intact. The soul badge has therefore been modified from a bi-facial to a uni-facial item probably in order to mount it on the base of the dish. Open-work triangles were intended to decorate the underside of each of the points but the marjority have miscast.
- Location
- On display (G47/dc13)
- Exhibition history
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Exhibited:
2012 1 June-28 July, London, The Goldsmiths' Company, Gold: Power and Allure
- Condition
- Good, there is no evidence of wear on the suspension lugs of the star-shaped soul badge suggesting that this item was newly cast or not used prior to being collected.
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Ashanti War
- Acquisition date
- 1973
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Af1973,07.2
