Akan and Baule Prestige Objects
An Akan belt of a notable, Côte d'Ivoire. Wood, covered with gold foil, fur, textile. L 72cm. It features the distinctive double-knife that illustrates a Baule proverb, ““The blade of a knife cannot carve its own handle,” demonstrating the need for cooperation in any endeavor." Estate of René David (1928-2015), Zurich. Exhibited: Musée International du Golfe de Guinée, Togo (2005-2011)
Akan carved wood prestige items gilded in gold leaf foil that represents items from a hunter’s cartridge or utility belt. Originally these items would have been sewn onto a belt made of fabric, leather, or animal fur as seen on the previous belt in the collection. Ivory Coast or Ghana
Prestige object (tortoise). Akan, Côte d'lvoire. Wood, covered with gold foil. L 4.5" Akan proverbs associated with tortoises: "The tortoise says haste is a good thing and deliberation is also a good thing.", "When you go to the village of the tortoise and it eatsearth, you eat some too.", "The highly conventionalized proverb associated with tortoises and snails is, "if it were only for the snail and the tortoise, the gun would not fire in the forest." -Both are valued foods but are collected by hand and not hunted with firearms. Because of this the snail and the tortoise are seen as peaceful. This tortoise may represent attributes with royal associations. From the estate of René David (1928-2015), Zurich. Exhibited: Musée International du Golfe de Guinée, Togo (2005-2011)
Asante Prestige figure, Ghana. Wood covered with gold foil. 19 cm. Images of figures that display weapons and arms emphasizes the strength of the chief and his people and their superiority and readiness for war. This figure’s attire holds strong similarities to the uniforms worn by Ghanaian soldiers of the Royal West African Frontier Force during WWI/ WWII. It possibly represents an individual of high standing in the community that wanted to commemorate this important accomplishment and status in his life. EX Galerie Walu, Zurich, Switzerland. Published: Lüthi, Werner & David, Jean (2009). Exhibition catalogue: Helvetic Gold Museum Burgdorf. Gold in West African Art. Zurich: Galerie Walu, p. 12 Exhibited: Helvetic Gold Museum Burgdorf (2009)
Baule (Baoulé) prestige item “Lantern”, wood covered with gold foil, Côte d’Ivoire. H 15 cm. “Within the aja the baule have an ostentatious assortment of gold-covered wood objects, many of which do not have counterparts in Akan regalia. Most are nonfunctional replicas of elite forms of Baule material culture. Among the European- derived objects are kerosene lanterns, gin bottles, ceramic jugs, firearms, pith helmets, and bugles. Imitations of indigenous items include sideblown ivory trumpets, combs, and cartridge belts.” Doran H. Ross. EX René David, Jean L. David, Galerie Walu, Zurich Published: Lüthi, Werner & David, Jean (2009). Exhibition catalog: Helvetic Gold Museum Burgdorf. Gold in the art of West Africa. Zurich: Gallery Walu. Page 12. Exhibited: Helvetic Gold Museum, Burgdorf (2009).
A selection of Baule (Baoulé) Prestige objects, wood covered with gold foil, Côte d’Ivoire. 1. Wood and gold replica of a iron gong and gong mallet. 2. Wood and gold replica of an ivory horn trumpet. 3. Wood and gold replica of an European-style bugle. “Within the aja the baule have an ostentatious assortment of gold-covered wood objects, many of which do not have counterparts in Akan regalia. Most are nonfunctional replicas of elite forms of Baule material culture. Perhaps the most unfamiliar item in the aja is the gold- leafed replica of the iron gong and wood mallet (lawre waka) used by a diviner to enter into a state of trance prior to a divination session.” -Doran H. Ross
An intricately carved Akan wood horn prestige object. Wood, gold foil. 11.4 inches. EX Gallery Walu, Zurich before 1995 (René David)
Music hammer and gong. Baule, Côte d'Ivoire. Wood, covered with gold foil. H 15 cm and 16.5 cm. “Perhaps the most unfamiliar item in the (Baule) aja is the gold- leafed replica of the iron gong and wood mallet (lawre waka) used by a diviner to enter into a state of trance prior to a divination session.” Doran H. Ross. Provenance: Estate René David (1928-2015), Zurich
Provenance: Estate René David (1928-2015), Zurich Exhibited: Musée International du Golfe de Guinée, Togo (2005-2011).
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).
Baule cartridge belt. leather, shell, cord, with four small wooden containers (three with lids) L: ca. 50 cm, L: ca. 19,7 inch EX Kunstauktionshaus Zemanek-Muenster, Wurzburg, DE. EX Collection of Alexander Kubetz (1946-2023), Munich, Germany
