Blessed with coasts rich in gold deposits, the Ashanti culture of Southern Ghana viewed this precious metal as an earthly manifestation of the sun’s power. As a symbol of their prosperous kingdom, the Ashanti leaders adorn themselves with golden rings, bracelets, and amulets. Unmistakably the most important object among the golden regalia is the Sika Dwa, the Golden Stool, a sacred relic which solely represents the nation’s power. The collective spirit of the people, Sunsum, resides in the stool. In light of this, the Ashanti believe that should the Sika Dwa be destroyed or otherwise taken from them, their nation would cease to exist. According to lore, Okomfo Anokye, a powerful priest and advisor to the Asantehene, summoned the Golden Stool from the heavens in a thunderous storm. It was to land on the lap of the first Asantehene, Osei Kofi Tutu I. It has since served as an avatar for the power of the Ashanti nation, and, more importantly, as a unifying element for every member of their society.
Gold dust and flakes were treated as currency in many Akan cultures, starting in the early fifteenth century. It wasn’t until the start of the eighteenth century, however, that the Ashanti adopted this custom. At this time, they were introduced to a system of standard measure, very likely from the Mande traders from the north as Timbuktu (Cole, 70). The earliest weight systems used nuts, cast bronze weights, or, in very isolated occasions, weights made out of gold. The trade routes along which gold, ivory, kola, and slaves were trafficked, came the influence of Islam. The first units of measure were taken from the Islamic mithqal, used for gold, and uqiya, used for silver and other substances (McLeod, 122). Later, systems from the Portuguese, Dutch, and eventually the Troy ounce would, in succession, become the standard.
The gold dust was transported in small pouches, sealed in the hollowed ends of quills, or, most frequently, in cast bronze boxes with geometric patterned lids. Other necessary accoutrement included small scoops for handling the gold, as well as a refined balance. Suspended by string from a light copper bar are two small discs upon which the flakes and weights are countered against each other.
The Islamic aesthetic is evidently the stylistic origin of the weights’ simple geometric shapes, adorned with Arabesque forms. The most decorated weights take a rectangular or triangular shape. Many of the former are topped with linear patterns, ripples, suggesting water, spirals, combs, representing the sun’s rays, and swastika forms, which are reminiscent of the handprint left by the vicious Colobus monkey (Plass, plate 150). More substantial weights take the shape of stepped pyramids.
A bulk of these bronzes were created from a lost-wax casting technique. In this process, a ‘one-time-use’ clay cast is made. Despite its seemingly rudimentary method, the resulting surface details are astounding. To gain precise measure, their creations incorporated both an additive and reductive process (Cole, 71). If a weight were too light, copper wire would be added little by little until it reached the proper measure. Conversely, to reduce mass, the bottoms of the more solid shapes would be hollowed out.
As the weights began to stray from the geometric aesthetic and take on more sculptural forms, the first of these were Ashanti court regalia. This asserted the culture’s authoritative role in gold commerce. The forms eventually evolved into full animal figurines, to call to the trader’s mind any related proverb or Ashanti narrative. In addition being a utilitarian art form, the weights also served as conversation pieces, to strike up philosophical dialogue during business transactions.
Islamic and proverbial motifs depicted on the bronze weights illustrate the fundamental principle overarching Ashanti culture. Proverbs and Islamic art are common throughout Ashanti culture and illustrate the Ashanti’s indirect approach to life. As a dominant form of communication, proverbs can be found in poetry, speech, and art, and never address any issue directly. Similarly Islamic art, much of which includes decorative script, forbids figural representation.
Indirectness is a characteristic that can be found in many aspects of the Ashanti culture. One example includes Ashanti brass pots, known as Kuduo. The body of the pots which contain libations and offerings are typically covered in geometric forms and script, resulting from Islamic art. The script on many of these pots has been copied for generations and is entirely illegible. Throughout Ashanti history the Muslims have been viewed as a sophisticated people who possess great power. The Ashanti attempt to harness this power through the production of geometric forms and Islamic script. The lids however contain animal and zoomorphic figures representing specific proverbs.
The union of Islamic and proverbial art is also apparent in Ashanti architecture. Abstract carvings derived from Islamic art are presented on the exterior walls of Ashanti homes. Also represented are references to proverbs. The depiction of a mudfish and crocodile implies a popular proverb. One understanding states, “Whatever the mudfish gets will ultimately go to the crocodile”. This phrase can take on several meanings depending on the situation. Similarly, the use of Islamic art indirectly connects the Ashanti with an unspoken power through the use of geometric forms and script, never representing a deity or figure.
The symbol of the Ashanti nation, Sika Dwa, the Ashanti’s sacred stool, embodies the power of the Ashanti and never directly touches the ground. Similarly a common member of the Ashanti kingdom can not speak directly to the Asantehene or king. A person must speak to a linguist who translates the issue into an appropriate proverb for the king’s ears. Even textiles can represent a proverb that expresses an issue. If a specific textile is worn before the king, the Asantehene will recognize the pattern and deduce the person’s concern.
Earlier bronze weight designs consisted of Islamic geometric forms, whereas the later weights were typically made into proverbial figures. The blending of Islamic and proverbial motifs evident in the bronze weights is characteristic to the Ashanti and illustrates their roundabout mode of living. The way in which the Ashanti conduct their lives is a form of art. Proverbs and Islamic art are critical facets in the Ashanti’s everyday life. The bronze weights allow a glimpse into the function of these motifs and reveal the centrality of proverbs and Islamic art in Ashanti culture.
