Late 19th Century African Ashanti Artifact; Burial Gold Vessel Kuduo

Details

Description

The kuduo is a hand made cast (lost wax method) bronze vessel used by the elite caste of the Akan … Read more The kuduo is a hand made cast (lost wax method) bronze vessel used by the elite caste of the Akan ( ethnic group of Ghana) to hold gold and valuable personal items frequently accompanying the owner to the grave. The kuduo was believed to hold and safeguard the spiritual life force of the owner.
Only the high born Akan owned elaborate kuduos. It is highly likely that the original owner of this kuduo was a king or of similar office.
This highly detailed piece is one of a kind and is adorned with symbolic images of the Ashanti culture. The figure on top of the vessel has long horns in the style of a ram or antelope representing power. This figure represents an "Asabibirim" ( an ancestral spirit or guardian). The figure is winged signifying the ability to cross spiritual domains. Traditional hand carved iconography of the African world, including frogs and turtles, adorn the sides of the vessel. The figure has conquered a smaller beast and is holding it in front of him in a gesture of dominance.
The kuduo is in excellent condition for its age (approximately 135 years). This is probably due to the fact that only 3 families have possessed it; the original owner who had it created, a well known Chapel Hill, NC family who obtained it on a trip to West Africa in the early twentieth century, and the current owner who purchased it at a Chapel Hill estate sale in 1972.
We honor the spirit enclosed in this kuduo. See less