Miniature mask ·  Ghana, Akan · ID: 3034636

Description

metal alloy, hole on top for support, missing parts (forehead and eye zone), metal socle;
cast in lost wax. Possibly an alloy of copper and gold. The Gold Coast, today called Ghana was reputed for its riches, as well as for its nuggets or gold dust. The metal, sometimes mixed in feeble quantity with copper or silver was used traditionally for the creation of jewelry and weapons, plated items and the modelling of small figures. This alloy was called “gold fetish” by the Westerners. The foremost function of these “gold fetish” objects is a decorative and symbolic one and gold is synonymous with a long life expectancy and divine power.

Comparing literature

Garrard, Timothy, Afrikanisches Gold, München 1989, p. 134 f.