Chief's ring "mpetea" with mudfish · Ghana, Akan / Ashanti · ID: 3045213
Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland
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.
The object Chief’s ring “mpetea” with mudfish with the object ID 3045213 was part of the auction 91 Tribal Art Auction on March 9, 2019. The object with the lot number 183 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,500 with an asking price of EUR 1,000.
Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about African art.
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.