GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Regalia distinguishes Asante royals and indicates the positions held by royal attendants. Items of regalia frequently incorporate gold as a display of royal power. Not only do these accessories dazzle the beholder, they also visualize Asante proverbs about leadership and society.
The splendor of Asante royal regalia first came to the attention of Europeans in 1819 with the publication of T. E. Bowdich’s Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee. In it, Bowdich recalled his travels to Kumasi, the Asante capital. There he witnessed the full array of the kingdom’s wealth: the “resplendent” king; “massy” [massive] gold ornaments, “which glistened in every direction”; and large umbrellas made of “the most showy cloths and silks.” He described gilded instruments, gold breastplates, silk headwear, kente cloth togas, and leather sandals. Bowdich’s account also noted the Asante royal stool, displayed alongside the king and “entirely cased in gold.”
Rings, bracelets, armbands, and fly whisks all draw attention to the Asantehene’s (the king's) gestures and body. Necklaces, whether worn beneath clothing or displayed on the chest, strengthen these implications of power and grandeur. The abundance of gold protected against malevolent forces, as well as confirmed the person’s wealth and elevated status.
Adapted from
- Roslyn Walker, The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana, Label text, 2018.
NOTES
ASSOCIATED CONTENT CHUNKS
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History~Learn more about the role of gold in Asante court regalia.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
apply to objects where medium contains gold
apply to objects where department_id equals 7
apply to objects where culture contains asante
apply to content where content contains royal
apply to content where content contains asante
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
Regalia distinguishes Asante royals and indicates the positions held by royal attendants. Items of regalia frequently incorporate gold as a display of royal power. Not only do these accessories dazzle the beholder, they also visualize Asante proverbs about leadership and society.
The splendor of Asante royal regalia first came to the attention of Europeans in 1819 with the publication of T. E. Bowdich’s Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee. In it, Bowdich recalled his travels to Kumasi, the Asante capital. There he witnessed the full array of the kingdom’s wealth: the “resplendent” king; “massy” [massive] gold ornaments, “which glistened in every direction”; and large umbrellas made of “the most showy cloths and silks.” He described gilded instruments, gold breastplates, silk headwear, kente cloth togas, and leather sandals. Bowdich’s account also noted the Asante royal stool, displayed alongside the king and “entirely cased in gold.”
Rings, bracelets, armbands, and fly whisks all draw attention to the Asantehene’s (the king's) gestures and body. Necklaces, whether worn beneath clothing or displayed on the chest, strengthen these implications of power and grandeur. The abundance of gold protected against malevolent forces, as well as confirmed the person’s wealth and elevated status.
Adapted from
- Roslyn Walker, The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana, Label text, 2018.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
rules
Apply To
Objects
medium
Contains
gold
Apply To
Objects
department_id
Equals
7
Apply To
Objects
culture
Contains
asante
Apply To
Content
content
Contains
royal
Apply To
Content
content
Contains
asante
source file
peoples_and_societies-0010.xml.nores