Ashanti

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1. AFRICAN ART ASHANTI

2. T raditional African art African art is a term typically used for the art of sub-Saharan African as the art of the north African areas along the Mediterranean coast. It can be defined as the various communities across the African continent. The traditional African play particular function in daily life of the indigenous African. Activities such as land cultivation, performance of household chores and celebration of festive occasion were not done in isolation without art. The African art has the following art forms thus pottery, basketry, jewelry, body art, bead making, textiles, sculpture, blacksmithing and performing art such as drumming, dancing and singing . African in general, especially in sub Saharan have beliefs in the Supreme Being, lesser gods, ancestors, animism and reincarnation (life after death). HISTORY The origin of African lies long before recorded history. African art in the Saharan in Niger preserves two years old carving along with the sub Saharan Africa. The cultural art of western tribes, ancient Egyptian painting and artifact and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly of African art. Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life or natural design and shapes. The Nubian kingdom of Kush in modern Sudan was in close and often hostile contact with Egypt derivation of style to the north. In West Africa, the earliest known sculptures are from the Nok Culture which thrived between 500 BC and 500 AD in modern Nigeria, with clay figures typically with elongated bodies and angular shapes.

3.   THEMATIC ELEMENT Emphasis on the human figure Visual abstraction: Their artworks tend to favor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. Emphasis on sculpture: their artists tend to favor three- dimensional works. Even many of their painting or cloth works were meant to be experienced three dimensional. Emphasis of performing art: their traditional African mask and costumes very often used in communal, ceremonial contexts, which they used to dance. Most societies in Africa have name for their masks, but this single name incorporates not only the mask but the dance associated with it and the spirit that reside within. MATERIALS Their jewelry are made from such diverse materials as tigers eye stone, sisal, coconut shell, beads and ebony wood. Their textiles were made including mud cloth and kente cloth. Their mosaics made of butterfly wing or coloured sand that are popular in West Africa.  

4. HISTORY OF ASHANTI “Ashanti” the Anglicized version of Asante or Asantefuo is sometimes used to refer to the land or people who originally migrated from the northwestern part of the Niger River in West Africa after the fall of the old Ghana Empire in 14 A. D. the immigrants settled in the central part of modern day Ghana and built between the 16 th and 18 th centuries, and built a powerful Kingdom . The emergence of the Asante kingdom was a tribute to two men, Opemsuo Osei Tutu 1 (1695-1731) and his mystic friend and sags, Okomfo Anokye, whose vision, remarkable prowess and geniuses founded a kingdom that rivaled the territorial borders of old Ghana emptive. The legend has it that in order to win their independence fro Denkyira, then another powerful Akan state, Osei Tutu (then Kumasihene) and his friend, Oomfo Anokye called a meeting of all the Dan heads of each of the Asante settlements to Kumasi. These settlements included Juaber, Nsuta, Mampong, Bekwai , Kokofu , Kumamu and Esumeja . During meeting Okomfo Ankye commanded a Golden stool ( Asikadwa ) Kofi from the heavens, which landed on the laps of Osei tutu. The legend of Golden stool ( Sika ‘ dwa ) actually tells of the birth of the Ashanti kingdom itself Okomfo Anokye declared the stool to be symbol of the new Asante union preceded to inflict a terrible defeat on denkyira , the enemy state. According to etymologist, Asante is a derivation of (“ Osa-nti ) or warlike. The primary purpose of the Asante union was to fight against the rule and domination of the king of Denkyira.(Nana Ntim Gyakari ).

5. Asante kingdom ranks among the few monarchical states in the whold , with a long and sustain system of governance. There have been 16king since its formation, from Opemsuo Nana Osei Tutu I (1695-1731) tour present king Oumfuo Osei Tutu II (2000). Even though history gives all the credits for the founding of Asante Nation or kingdom to Osei Tutu I, the real empire builder was Katakyie Opoku Ware I (1731-1742). He presented the break up of the union after the debacle of the Asante army at River Pra in Akyem . As the successor or Nana Osei Tutu, Otumfuo Opoku Ware I, among his many accomplishments, was his institution of the Great Oath ( Ntamkesie Mionsa Kromantse near Pra River during the was against The Golden stool is sacred to the Ashanti, as it is believed that it contains the ‘ Sunsum ’ spiritor soul of the Ashanti people. Just as man cannot live without a soul, so the Ashanti would ease to exist if the Golden Stool were to be taken from them, the Golden stool is not just sacred; it is a symbol of nationhood, a symbol that binds or unifies all Ashanti, the stool was believed to be so sacred not even the king was allowed to sit on it. The Golden Stool is curved seat 46cm high with a platform 61cm wide and 30cm deep. Its surface is inlaid with gold, and hung with bells to warn the king of impending danger. It is an Ashanti legend and has only been seen by the tribe’s royalty Akyem . At the time of Opoku Ware I’s death in 1742 the Asante empive extended to the kingdoms of Fante , Akyem , Aousin , Denkyira, Sefwi , Wassa , Assin Gonja , Ga-Adangbe , Kwawu , Bono, Ahafo and parts of Togo.

6. In 1895 the Asantes were overwhelmed, most of them brought all the way from west indies and Housaland (Northern Nigeria), and equipped with better and superior fire power such as cannons and rockets. Asantehene Nana Agyeman Prempeh I (1822-1932) seeing the imminent defeat of the Asante army with the resulting possibility of the capture of the Golden stool, surrendered himself and was exiled to the Seychelles lsand with a retinue of other chiefs, and later the legendary woman Yaa Asantewaa Queen mother of Ejisu . Notwithstanding, the British Governor Sir Fredrick Hodgson, on a visit to Kumasi in 1900 demanded to sit on the Golden Stool as an honor to Queen Victoria. Incensed that such gesture would be sacrilegious to the stool, Asantefuo, led by Yaa Asntewaa , Queen mother of Ejisu led an insurrection against the British in consequence of which Kumasi was burnt to the ground. Asante lost its military power and political sovereignty and became a British protectorate. Although they lost on the battle field, they claimed rectory because they fought only to preserve the sanctity of the Golden stool, and they had.  

7. Art forms of Ashanti sculpture Ashanti wood-carving legend and mythology records the royal stool of Ashanti as having come into being during the region of Osei Tutu (1700 -1730 ). Members participate in ritual ceremonies among their own stool. As stool contains the soul of the individual, so it contains the soul of the clan, tribe, villages, family and the state and serves as symbols of unity. Tools used by Ashanti caver are often themselves elaborately decorated. . Before the tool are used, the craftsman makes a libation of propitiation and grace, asking that the tools not harm the carver

8. Characteristics Ashanti wood carving This is a female stool is believed to be the first stool design in Akan tradition. The arc of the stool symbolizes the loving embrace of a mother and also warmth of female influence in society. The four rectangular shaped pillars at the corners of the stool represent the influence of male power in the society. Which signify strength, power, and good fortune and how the depends on them for protection and growth. On the outer side of each of these pillars are a number of small triangular projections, which represent the children in the society. Those that have pointed ends represent male and those with round ends represent females. The strong circular pillar in the centre of the stool symbolizes the power and presence of God in the society. The small square or rectangular holes in central pillar signify the justice and fairness for which God stand in society

9. Female stool

10. These are some of Ashanti wood carving ceremonial drums Akuaba or fertility doll

11. Metal casting The metal smiths cast object from brass, iron and gold through use of the cire-predue (lost wax) process . . Materials used as a foundation upon which the wax is laid, a forge made of clay for heating the metals, both double and single bellow, small scales for weighing, tongs for holding the hot metal, block of wood with a hole in the middle upon which the wax is rolled, a wooden knife or spatula iron anvil, and a thin iron skewer. All these tools are consecrated before the craftsmen.

12. Textile Printing Another technique used in designing of Ashanti cloth is stamping of the design upon the fabric using motif stamps locally known as ntiamu . Fabric done in this manner is referred to as “Adinkra” cloth. Legend recorded that Adinkra was the king of fabric in ancient Ivory Coast; . The fabric used is called woven plain fabric and dye used is call badea dye or Adinkra aduro which is a vegetable dye that is obtained from a tree bark and the tree is called badea

13. Wooden motif

14. weaving Besides carving, Ashanti artistic activity includes weaving of cloth. Besides carving, Ashanti artistic activity includes weaving of cloth. The patterns of the cloth follow that of the social position the individual, his clan, tribe, and trade. Man only weaver and woman are to pick the cotton and spin into thread by woman who have reached their menopause. Silk used by the Ashanti weaver is either collected growing wild in the forest or imported. These cloths are woven into long slender bolts of geometric design and pattern; after wards they are sewn together in order to obtain the desired width. Tools used in weaving consist of spools, bobbin carries, an iron skewer with wooden hammer shaped head, a weaving reed, pulleys, loom, and bowl used for dying threads

15. A man working in a loom

16. Architecture Architecture from Ghana is perhaps best known from the reconstructions at Kumasi. Its key features are courtyard-based buildings and walls with shrinking reliefs in mud plaster brightly painted. Animal designs and adinkra symbols mark the walls, and palm leaves cut to tiered shape provide the roof

17. Pottery   Pottery as a medium of Ashanti art is unique in all aspect. The craft is almost entirely in the hands of women, because there are no engravings or modeled figurines. There was a girl born in old tafo in the Ashanti region. She was born with clay in her palm. From then pottery became one of the art forms of the Ashanti. Since pottery has no such ritualistic symbolism, it can be carried on by a woman and there is on attempt to adhere to prescribed pattern or designs. This art is practiced with skilled craftsmanship. The art is passed on hereditary from mother to daughter. Certain pottery object used in ritual ceremonies and in burial rites are modeled by men and have ritual design engraved on them. Clayed used in pottery making are of white, red, yellow, grey and brown colours . The implements or tools used in making pottery consist of corn cobs, rags, small blocks of wood, a ring made from a strip of palm stem and used as a scapper and a small smooth pebble used for polishing. Old tafo became the traditional Centre for pottery works.

18. JEWELLERY Ashanti used jewelry in many ways and for that reason Ashanti used jewelry as a symbol of wealth, class, rank, beaut and sometimes authority. Also the Ashanti use jewelry as a form of protection and served as modes of identification. Ashanti used precious metals like gold, silver and beads. The Ashanti uses symbols in making their jewelry and they have their meanings example gyenyame , adinkrahene . When a female child is born, the Ashanti used beads to bring the curves in her body which symbolize beauty to the Ashanti. When nana Osei Tutu is at festival, he will wear gold nickels, ring which symbolizes how wealthy the Ashanti are. Obuasi , ashanti new town, asafo are known as the traditional Centre for jewelry.