  
  About the Artwork
  
  
  This sword (afena), used by Akan royal guards, never served as a weapon; instead, it symbolically asserted the king&acirc;&#128;&#153;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&acirc;&#128;&#153;s extraordinary military capability. The imagery communicates the proverb, &acirc;&#128;&#156;A great leader goes to war with full armor, swiftness, and wisdom,&acirc;&#128;&#157; 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  &Atilde;&#151; 6 1/2 &Atilde;&#151; 6 inches (71.1 &Atilde;&#151; 16.5 &Atilde;&#151; 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&acirc;&#128;&#153;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&acirc;&#128;&#148;no longer assigned&acirc;&#128;&#148;that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  2005.2
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
  
  
  
