Royal Ceremonial Sword

late 19th or early 20th century

Asante, African

On View

African: Fit for a King, Level 1, North Wing

Royal Ceremonial Sword: 1 of Collection Gallery

Royal Ceremonial Sword: 2 of Collection Gallery

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About the Artwork

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Provenance

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Exhibition History

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisonné

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Credit Line for Reproduction

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About the Artwork

This sword (afena), used by Akan royal guards, never served as a weapon; instead, it symbolically asserted the king’s power over life and death. Such swords have no cutting edge, and the blade is sheathed permanently in leather. A further overlay of ray fish skin, also known as shagreen, suggests the spiritual prowess and disguise needed in warfare.
Gold leaf decorates the handle, and a solid gold emblem proclaims royal wealth. The bird figure, twisted into a reef knot, symbolizes wisdom. The kegs of gunpowder and cannons in the beak and atop the wings invoke the chief’s extraordinary military capability. The imagery communicates the proverb, “A great leader goes to war with full armor, swiftness, and wisdom,” constituting another layer of meaning.

Title Royal Ceremonial Sword

Artwork Date late 19th or early 20th 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. Asante

Medium Wood, gold leaf, rayfish skin, cast gold, and leather

Dimensions Overall: 28 × 6 1/2 × 6 inches (71.1 × 16.5 × 15.2 cm)

Classification Sculpture

Department African Art

Credit Museum Purchase, Joseph H. Parsons Fund, Gilbert B. and Lila Silverman, Stanford C. Stoddard, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Eisenberg, Ralph H. Booth Bequest Fund, Abraham Borman Family Fund and Africa, Oceania and Indigenous Americas General Art Fund

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. 2005.2

Markings

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Provenance

(Albert Nuamah, Detroit, Michigan, USA);
2005-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

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Exhibition History

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Published References

Quarcoopome, Nii. “Akan Leadership and Status Objects.” Bulletin of the DIA 91, no. 1/4 (2017): p. 47 (fig. 2.30a-b).

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Asante, African, Royal Ceremonial Sword, late 19th or early 20th century, wood, gold leaf, rayfish skin, cast gold, and leather. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, Joseph H. Parsons Fund, Gilbert B. and Lila Silverman, et al., 2005.2.