Flag, Asafo Company (frankaa)

Artist Fante artist

Datebefore 1957

MediumLinen, cotton, and embroidery

Dimensionsheight and width: 34 x 52 in. (86.4 x 132.1 cm)
frame: 42 x 63 x 4 in. (106.7 x 160 x 10.2 cm)

ClassificationsTextiles

Credit LinePurchased with funds from an anonymous donor

Object number2008.19

On View

Not on view

Label TextAsafo military companies, most highly developed among the coastal Fante peoples, play a vital role in balancing the power of paramount chiefs and form the core of local communities. It is by the colorful flags with striking graphics that Asafo companies are identified during parades at festivals and holiday celebrations. On these occasions Asafo companies compete through flag iconography, taunting proverbs, dance, and performance. Today there are ten active companies. Their flags are displayed at the installation of new paramount chiefs and at funerals.

Flags with the British Union Jack in the upper left are dated prior to 1957; later flags often display independent Ghana’s current colors of red, yellow, and green. This flag was created for the Asafo Company No. 4, called Nkum, whose color is yellow. The seven-headed dragon, borrowed from Western imagery, presents a defiant message to enemies, which may be rival Asafo companies.

ProvenanceCharles Jones African Art, Wilmington, NC; sold to NCMA, 2008.Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 8, 2023-December 16, 2024. Object Rights Statement

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