Cleveland Museum of Art

Knife Handle Cover

Date

1800s

Medium

Gold

Culture

Africa, West Africa, Ghana, Asante Empire/Kingdom, Kumasi or probably Kumasi, member of the goldsmiths' guild

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Gold sheaths covered the cast iron blade of a king’s ceremonial knife ( sikay ), wrapping them with symbolism. In Akan states like the Asante Kingdom, gold embodies life force ( kra ) and is the sun’s earthly counterpart. Only goldsmiths’ guild members could make gold ornaments for the royals and their entourage, or for the royal treasury. Here, the goldsmith used a tool to push the raised floral, leaf, and geometric designs from the back of a soft sheet of gold (repoussé technique). Small dots outlining some motifs were punched into the metal. Similarly decorated gold sheets and solid ornaments capped a knife’s handle. Only members of the goldsmiths' guild, who claimed descent from the first goldsmith Fusu Kwabi, could make gold ornaments for the royals and their entourage.

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