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HOME :
African & Tribal Art :
Masterpieces of African Art : Akan Gold Zoomorphic Pendant
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Akan Gold Zoomorphic Pendant - FJ.6846A
Origin: Lagoons Region, Ivory Coast
Circa: 1600
AD
to 1800
AD
Dimensions:
3.5" (8.9cm) high
Collection: African
Medium: Gold
£9,000.00
Location: UAE
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| Description |
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Ivoirian goldsmiths are famous for their
variety
of ornamental pendants. The shapes are
either
abstract or stylized representations of the
animal
world. This remarkable pendant, with its
curved
tail and serrated teeth might depict either a
type
of sawfish or a crocodile, both of which were
common subject matters. Early accounts
refer to
such jewels as “fetishes,” suggesting that
they
may have originally possessed magical
protective
powers; however, today they are generally
believed to be merely decorative. The
lagoons
people have used such ornaments since at
least
the seventeenth century, when European
visitors
first noticed that the coastal men and women
tied gold jewels in their hair.
Pairs of loop holes
on either side of this work suggest that it was
worn either as a necklace or woven into an
elaborate coiffure. While up to the
nineteenth
century, men and women frequently adorned
their bodies with several gold ornaments,
this
tradition has slowly died out. However,
among
the lagoons people, these pendants continue
to
play a crucial role in a spectacular public
festival
known as the “exhibition of gold.” Observers
noted that the pride of the “big men” was to
publicly exhibit their wealth spread out
across a
table. Entrepreneurs would aspire to acquire
enough wealth in the form of gold ornaments
in
order to improve his status and elevate
himself
to the ranks the “big men.”
Such pendants were
most often inherited from ancestors, having
remained in the family for generation,
although
an individual could commission new works in
order to heighten his standing. This festival
was
an important social event that could make or
break a person’s standing within the village.
If
one’s table of gold did not favorably
compare to
the wealth of other exhibitors, he could be
humiliated. However, if one’s amount and
quality of pendants surpassed that of others,
he
could be praised with newfound respect and
secure a spot among the “big men.” The
openwork triangles found in the body of this
pendant are typical of the lagoons style.
Whether
worn in the hair, hung upon a necklace, or
placed upon a table amongst other such
works,
this golden pendant reflects the luxurious
wealth
and masterful artistry of the Ivory Coast.
- (FJ.6846A)
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