Presso gli Akan, il gruppo etnico più importante e numeroso in Ghana, sono particolarmente significativi gli oggetti in bronzo adibiti al maneggio della polvere d'oro, materia prima relativamente "comune" nella ex "Costa d'Oro" ricchissima di minere del metallo prezioso. Recipienti chiusi da coperchi decorati, detti Kuduo se forgiati o Forowa se costruiti con una lamina ribattuta, come anche cucchiai riccamente ornati sono oggetti di prestigio e carichi di una indubbia valenza estetica.
Oltre, ovviamente, a quelli che sono forse i più famosi oggetti in bronzo del West Africa e cioè i "goldweights", piccole statuette figurative o a figure geometriche per pesare la polvere d'oro.
Quello che mostro in queste immagini non è né un cucchiaio, data la grossa capienza e la profondità dell'incavo, né un recipiente come i suddetti, ma si tratta di una specie di tazza, probabilmente connessa con usi rituali o comunque legati al commercio del metallo giallo.
All'aspetto appare abbastanza antica, forse risalente al 19°secolo, e le decorazioni sono raffinate e delicate, come il fiore ormai semi invisibile che è stato inciso sulla superfice inferiore esterna. E' un oggetto semplice ma, a mio parere, molto bello.
Proviene dalla collezione privata di un appassionato tedesco di oggetti in bronzo, il Dott. Topp, che la acquistò come Kuduo ma, non essendo convinto di questo, la sottopose al giudizio del famoso esperto Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler che la identificò come "tazza per speciali occasioni sacrali" e la apparentò con un esemplare analogo pubblicato sul suo volume Erde und Erz a pag. 173.
Io l'ho acquistata dal collezionista ed esperto tedesco Wilfried Glar, che l'acquistò a sua volta da Topp nei primi anni '80.
Among the Akan, the ethnic group most important in Ghana, there are particularly significant objects casted in bronze and used for the handling of gold dust, raw material relatively "common" in the former "Gold Coast" rich of mines of the precious metal. Containers closed by lids decorated, said Kuduo if forged or Forowa if built with a sheet riveted, as well as ornate spoons are prestigious objects and loads of remarkable beauty. In addition, of course, to those who are perhaps the most famous bronzes of West Africa, called "goldweights", small statues with human figures or geometric figures for weighing gold dust. The item showed in these images is neither a spoon, given the large capacity and the depth of the recess, or a container like the above mentioned, but it is a kind of vessel, probably connected with ritual use or in any case related to trade of yellow metal. Appearance looks quite old, perhaps dating back to the 19th century, and the decorations are refined and delicate as flower seeds now near-invisible which was engraved on the lower outer surface. It 'a simple object but, in my opinion, very nice. It comes from the private collection of a German collector of bronze objects, Dr. Topp, who bought it as Kuduo but, not being confident of this, submitted it to the judgment of the famous expert Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler who identified it as a "cup for special sacred occasions "and told it was similar to a specimen published on his volume Erde und Erz page. 173. I've purchased the vessel from the German collector and expert Wilfried Glar, who bought it from Topp in the early 80s.
Bibliografia:
Among the Akan, the ethnic group most important in Ghana, there are particularly significant objects casted in bronze and used for the handling of gold dust, raw material relatively "common" in the former "Gold Coast" rich of mines of the precious metal. Containers closed by lids decorated, said Kuduo if forged or Forowa if built with a sheet riveted, as well as ornate spoons are prestigious objects and loads of remarkable beauty. In addition, of course, to those who are perhaps the most famous bronzes of West Africa, called "goldweights", small statues with human figures or geometric figures for weighing gold dust. The item showed in these images is neither a spoon, given the large capacity and the depth of the recess, or a container like the above mentioned, but it is a kind of vessel, probably connected with ritual use or in any case related to trade of yellow metal. Appearance looks quite old, perhaps dating back to the 19th century, and the decorations are refined and delicate as flower seeds now near-invisible which was engraved on the lower outer surface. It 'a simple object but, in my opinion, very nice. It comes from the private collection of a German collector of bronze objects, Dr. Topp, who bought it as Kuduo but, not being confident of this, submitted it to the judgment of the famous expert Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler who identified it as a "cup for special sacred occasions "and told it was similar to a specimen published on his volume Erde und Erz page. 173. I've purchased the vessel from the German collector and expert Wilfried Glar, who bought it from Topp in the early 80s.
Bibliografia:
1) The arts of Ghana
Herbert M. Cole - Doran H. Ross - UCLA, Los Angeles, 1977
2) Erde und Erz. 2500 Jahre Afrikanische Kunst aus Terrakotta und Metall
Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler - Panterra Verlag, Munchen, 1997
3) The art of metal in Africa
Marie-Therèse Brincard - The african - american institute, New York, 1982
4) Bronzes et autres alliages. Afrique de l'Ouest
Andre Blandin - Marignane (FR), 1988
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