Asafo Flag

19th century

Fante, African

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About the Artwork

Crafted from brocade and appliqued silk-cut motifs, this Asafo flag is unusual in both its imagery and composition. Both imported fabrics were highly respected as status symbols. The imagery of a crowned heraldic lion holding arrows in its left paw and a sword in its right recalls a strikingly similar decoration on the lintel of the main entrance gate to the Elmina castle, where it would have been seen by everyone upon approach. The flag was likely commissioned by an Asafo military company from nearby Elmina town. What is unclear in this case is how the imagery might have been reinterpreted to serve the company's purposes. Did the company have some historical connection to the castle and its expatriate residents? Even so, it may be difficult to tell precisely which European entity is being referenced here, as the monument changed hands several times. By inserting the Union Jack, the company may have been promoting its relationship with the British, who were the last European occupants of the castle before colonial rule began. The meaning of the assortment of indigenous and foreign motifs—hand, heart, ladder, crossed keys, padlock, key, a black man being attacked by a quadruped, and a white man standing aloof—is unclear.

Nii O. Quarcoopome

From Through African Eyes: The European in African Art, 1500 to Present (Detroit, 2009)

Title Asafo Flag

Artwork Date 19th century

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. African

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. Fante

Medium Silk brocade and cotton fabric

Dimensions Overall: 62 1/2 × 39 inches (158.8 × 99.1 cm)

Classification Textiles

Department African Art

Credit Gift of Dr. Nii O. Quarcoopome

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 2002.196

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Provenance

Dr. Nii O. Quarcoopome (Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA);
2003-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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