Birds
I believe this represents a vulture or “Opete”. There are many Asante proverbs associated with the vulture and it also symbolizes self-begetting, self-creation, and self-birth. It is the animal that symbolizes Odomankoma, the Akan deity who created the world. Regardless of which type of bird it represents, one proverb for a perched bird is: “Anoma anntu a, obua da”. Literally: If a bird does not fly, it goes to bed hungry. You must take action if you want to make a living. EX Hemingway's New York
Akan fly whisk, "nandwa blawa", Côte d'Ivoire/ Ghana, Wood, covered with gold foil, horse tail hair, textile. H 46 cm. (112 cm with tail). “One of the most familiar and influential images in all of Akan art is the bird with its head turned toward its back--the so-called sankɔfa bird. Its message is most frequently translated as "Pick it up, if it falls behind."The basic idea is that if you have forgotten something, you can return to retrieve it, or that mistakes can be corrected. In part the motif has to do with maintaining and respecting ancestral tradition.” (D.Ross) ex Galerie Walu
Baule fly whisk with a finial of a bird- this time a water fowl. 33” L. Wood, covered with gold foil, horse hair, and textile. Côte d’Ivoire. EX Constance McCormick Fearing estate, Montecito, California.
Baule fly whisk. Handle: 40cm H. Wood covered with gold foil, horse hair, textile, Côte d’Ivoire. The finial image is of a standing rooster. “Akokg ntakdra na emd akoko ye kese”, —It is the feathers on a fowl that make it big. (This saying has been heard in the sense that it is the number of subjects whom a chief has who make him important.). Another is "Although the hen knows that the dawn is breaking, she leaves it to the rooster to announce." EX Giquello, Paris.
The image is the “bird that flies with cannons.” An exquisitely carved Asante “Okyeame poma” (linguist/counselor’s staff). Wood, hammered silver foil. Ghana. 62.5 inches H. Magnificent gold-covered staffs (or in this case silver covered) are carried by high-ranking officials within the courts of Akan chiefs in an area of West Africa once known as the Gold Coast. Because they are a society that originally had no written tradition, the Akan peoples place an enormous emphasis on speech. The spoken word, in the form of axioms and stories, is the repository of Akan custom and values, and a complete mastery of proverbial lore, combined with an eloquent and insightful way of conveying it, is considered the mark of intellect of highly esteemed individuals. Those who possess this knowledge and an articulate command of language may be appointed as court linguists, the most important nonroyal court officials. The expression associated with the image is primarily descriptive, "The bird that flies with cannons and gun- powder." Nevertheless, it is an evocative metaphor for the martial capabilities of chief and state.” -D.Ross. ex Collection of Michael von Schenck (1931), Basel. 1980-1983 Swiss Ambassador in Ghana
Akan prestige object of a crow holding a book- a reference to a proverb. Ghana. The Crow (kwaakwadebi) is also the totem symbol of the Akan clan (abusua) Asona. The symbolic quality of the Asona clan is statesmanship and patriotism. The Asona is one of the few abusua families where the women were given the privilege to rule as kings or chiefs. “Book imagery in Akan art generally refers to two related subjects, the Bible and literacy asserting that the clan, person or persons associated with the object are educated.” -D. Ross EX Estate of Madeleine and Jean-Jacques Keller (Abidjan until 1980, then Rheinfelden).
EX René David, Zurich, Switzerland
EX René David, Zurich, Switzerland
An Asante chief’s ring “mpetea” of a bird with cannons at the base of each wing and a powder keg in its beak and on its tail. Cast gold alloy, H 4 cm, Ghana. “One of the most explicit, if fanciful, symbols of power found on Asante sword ornaments is a bird with cannons on its wings and often a keg of gunpowder on its back and in its beak. The body of the bird is typically configured as a square knot (nyansapɔ), a symbol of wisdom and the ability to solve problems among the Akan who say "Only a wise man can untie nyansapɔ. This powerful and wise avian ordnance is one of the most common “abɔsodeɛ” and is also frequently found in gold weights, counselors' staffs, and chiefs' finger rings. The expression associated with this image is primarily descriptive, "The bird that flies with cannons and gun-powder." Nevertheless, it is an evocative metaphor for the martial capabilities of chief and state.” -D.Ross. Provenance: Gallery Walu, Zurich, estate of Andreas Vontobel (1931-2011), Waltalingen.
Hairpin, Asante, Ghana. Gold alloy. H 8.5 cm. The pin consists of three birds on a flower. The motifs shown always point to people, animals or objects that allegorically stand for praiseworthy qualities and sayings. Hairpins were generally believed to have originated from European influence, particularly Victorian fashion. The filigree technique used here is of exquisite quality. The British museum writes “Hairpins were inspired by Europeans and first became popular among the Fante communities on the coast in the early nineteenth century. These pins were worn by women fixed into their elaborately plaited hair or sometimes, in the case of Fante women, into elaborate wigs made of horsehair.” ex Dr. Andreas Vontobel (1931-2011), Waltalingen
Asante oil lamp. Cast bronze. The animals depicted on the edge of the shell (among other things 6 birds) refer to proverbs such as "Birds of the same species drink from the same pond". The stem takes the form of the segmented cane babadua also seen in many forms of Asante art (umbrella finials, bracelets) and carries the same attributes of strength and resilience. Ex Carlo Monzino (1931-1996), Castagnola
Chief sandals (mpaboa), leather, wood covered with gold foil. Ghana. Sandals are the equivalent to the European crown when identifying a ruler in the Akan states. The straps are usually covered with gold ornaments that point to proverbs and can also be seen on the abotire headbands or “crowns” of the Akan. It is most likely that the sandals came first and influenced the crowns. Here we see ornaments made of carved wood covered with gold leaf representing the night bird asantrofie (center). This bird motif addresses the dilemmas inherent in decision making, “If you take asantrofie you bring bad luck, if you leave asantrofie you lose good fortune,” a kind of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation.’ (Ross). Other ornaments include fluted forms, cowrie shells, beetles, and the sun and moon motif. The fluted forms are representations of insect cocoons and are more frequently seen in cast form as gold weights. The image is meant to suggest a dilemma: “It is a puzzle to know how the caterpillar entered its cocoon; did it build it before entering it or did it build it around itself?” (Menzel 1968, 181). In other words, some things are destined to remain a mystery. The star and moon motif usually seen on abotire headbands points to a proverb recorded by Garrard: “The evening star, desirous of being married, always stays close to the moon.” He explained, “In the political context it would indicate that the people love their chief and will support him” (Ross)
An Akan or Baule gilded copper alloy pendant with two birds and an elephant. 3.5” dia. Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana. EX Paul Tishman collection (NY) by decent. “Paul Tishman was often asked why he and his wife Ruth decided to collect African art. His simple reply: How does one fall in love?” Most of the Tishman collection was bought by the Walt Disney company in the mid 80s and in 2005, Disney donated all 525 objects in the collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of African art.
Akan cast gold (12K, 30g) pendant representing a coiled snake with a bird in its mouth. D: 2.4 inch - 2.6 inch. In Akan art, the snake is often seen devouring a variety of animal types. Sometimes it is a bird as in this example. Other examples seen in pendants and sword ornaments depict frogs, lizards, and even antelopes. Regardless of the snakes prey, the takeaway message is that the snake “triumphs through patience.” There is another proverb specifically describing the snake devouring the frog motif but it also applies to the bird and other animals: “Every part of the frog belongs to the snake. This is based on the observation that snakes swallow their prey whole, and the proverb is used to describe dominant-subservient relationships.” -D.Ross. Kunstauktionshaus Zemanek-Muenster 104, Germany, Ex Stephanie Uhart Negret, Santiago de Chile, Chile. Published: “Oro de Africa - Insignias de Poder”, Colección Stephanie Uhart Negret, Santiago de Chile 2007, p. 36.