Mudfish
Akan chief's ring "mpetea" with a mudfish motif, Ghana. Cast gold alloy 0,570 (13,68 carat), weight: 25,8 g, H: 5,2 cm; W: 5,6 cm; D: 1,7 cm, H: 2,0 inch; W: 2,2 inch; D: 0,7 inch. Associated proverb: "When the mudfish swallows anything, it does so for its master" (crocodile), that is, what is good for his subjects is good for the chief". Provenance: Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, Germany, Roland Hartman, St. Gallen, Switzerland, René David, Zurich, Switzerland
An Akan chief’s ring “mpetea” in the form of the mudfish. Ghana. Cast Gold alloy, H: 4,3 cm; W: 5,5 cm; D: 2 cm, H: 1,7 inch; W: 2,2 inch; D: 0,8 inch. I particularly like the head pattern on this example. Associated proverb: "When the mudfish swallows anything, it does so for its master" (crocodile) that is, what is good for his subjects is good for the chief". Provenance: René David, Zurich, Switzerland, Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland, Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, Germany.
Akan Chief's ring "mpetea" of a mudfish - Ghana. Cast Gold/ silver alloy. H: 2.0 inch; W: 2.4 inch; D: 0.8 inch. EX Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, Germany, EX Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland, EX René David, Zurich, Switzerland
Akan three-stranded chain with mudfish pendant. Silver alloy. Associated proverb: "When the mudfish swallows anything, it does so for its master" (crocodile) that is, what is good for his subjects is good for the chief". Provenance: Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, Germany, Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland (1922-2007), René David, Zurich Switzerland (1928-2015) According to Doran Ross in The Arts of Ghana, a similar example of a silver mudfish amulet necklace with a similarly made chain is thought to be MAMPRUSSI? from the Northern regions of Ghana. Although collected as an Akan piece, it may have a different origin.