Chief's ring "mpetea" with mudfish · Ghana, Akan / Ashanti · ID: 3045213
sold
EUR 1,500
Provenance
René David, Zurich, SwitzerlandRoland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Size
H: 7,5 cm
B: 7,5 cm
D: 2 cm
H: 3.0 inch
B: 3.0 inch
D: 0.8 inch
Description
gold alloy 0,550 (13,2 carat), weight: 56,5 g, cast in lost form
“When the mudfish swallows anything, it does so for its master” that is, what is good for his subjects is good for the chief".
An important Akan chief, on occasion, may wear a cast-gold ring “mpetea” on each finger and indeed on each thumb. The hand is one of the most expressive parts of the human body and is integral to the rich Akan arts of gesture and dance. Rings, of course, bring even more attention to the hands and help amplify their expressive potential.
Expertise
Nr.1205, Eidgenössisches Kontrollamt für Edelmetalle, Zurich, 25.8.1988
Comparing literature
Ross, Doran H., Gold of the Akan from the Glassell Collection, Houston 2002, p. 168 ff.