Chief's ring "mpetea" with frog · Ghana, Akan / Ashanti · ID: 3045200
sold
EUR 1,600
Provenance
Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, SwitzerlandSize
L: 3 cm
B: 2,3 cm
D: 2 cm
L: 1.2 inch
B: 2,1.2 inch
D: 0.8 inch
Description
gold alloy ca.1,00 (24 carat), base
The image of a frog might seem to be an unusual royal symbol, but it is a common motif on chief’s rings.
It is connected with the following proverb: “A frog’s length is only apparent after death”. The implication is that a chief’s accomplishments are often not appreciated during his lifetime and that it is only looking back at his career after his death that his contributions can be fully understood.
Comparing literature
Ross, Doran H., Gold of the Akan from the Glassell Collection, Houston 2002, p. 173