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African & Tribal Art :
Akan, Asante, Fanti : Akan Terracotta Head
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Akan Terracotta Head - PF.5917
Origin: Ghana
Circa: 16
th
Century AD
to 18
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
6" (15.2cm) high
x 3.5" (8.9cm) wide
Collection: African
Style: Akan
Medium: Terracotta
$1,500.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Among the funerary rituals of the ancient Akan peoples are ceramic sculptures dedicated to the memory of their ancestors that served as grave markers. Although these ceramic sculptures are sometimes full figures, they are more often just heads. These heads are thought to commemorate royalty. Sometimes they are placed in special shrines where their receive annual libations. However, most of them appear to have been placed in or in the direct vicinity of cemeteries. Frequently labeled as “portraits,” they are not in the Western understanding of the word. Only some features, such as hairstyles and scarifications, are specifically related to the deceased. Yet these features would be sufficient for his relative to recognize him by. Before being placed as a grave marker, these heads would be used in ceremonies pertaining to the deceased. These ceremonies would often last as long as forty days or until the dead had achieved ancestral status through the rituals. Gazing upon this head we are confronted with the image of a parted soul. While upon death our bodies decompose and leave behind skeletal remains of our physical being, this small terracotta head is the skeleton of the spirit. It honors not the body, not the physical presence of a person, but the entire essence of their being.
- (PF.5917)
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