Lot 68
FANTE ASAFO FLAG: AFTER THE EAGLE THERE IS NO OTHER
GHANA, EARLY 20TH CENTURY
African & Oceanic Art and Antiquities
Auction: 21 March 2018 at 11:00 GMT
Description
cotton applique flag, an oversized eagle shown carrying off a grey cat, two human figures, a cat and stool below, with Union Jack in the top left and black and white chevron and square border
Dimensions
179x114.5cm
Footnote
Please note; Framed by John Jones to museum quality, the flag is mounted on a cotton backing and presented in a wooden frame.
Beginning in the 17th century, the Fante groups which inhabited the south-west coast of modern-day Ghana formed military and political units known as 'asafo' (deriving from sa, meaning war, and fo, meaning people). Each unit developed elaborate traditions of visual art, most striking of all the flags shown here. These comprised of bold naïve imagery appliqued onto a cotton background, they commonly depict indigenous proverbs which relate closely to the commissioning Asafo group. With the British conquest of the region in 1856 many Asafo groups incorporated versions of the Union Jack into the flag to enhance the power of the imagery.
In this example "Eagle" Company is mocking "Lion" Company, the stool is a symbol of Fante authority.