The Akan

Peoples of the large Akan family occupy the central and coastal regions of Ghana known as the Gold Coast. This large group is divided into the Asante, and the Fante who live further south. Other groups of the Akan, such as the Anyi and Abron settled in the Ivory Coast or Côte d’Ivoire.

>> The Akan civilization is one based on gold. As early as the 15th century the Akan kingdom had already founded its wealth on this prestigious metal. It was in 1471 that initial contact was made with the Portuguese; in these lands they found a highly organized social, economic and political system.

>> The Akan kingdom was highly structured and extremely wealthy. Gold dust had already been instituted as money, and at this time the highly refined system of Akan weights became the official and standardized system of weights and measures for gold powder.

>> When the kingdom flourished, the court was filled with extremely skilled artisans who were organized into professional associations, as a result this allowed for the development of very advanced techniques in metal casting. Gold would soon find its substitute in brass; the production of small objects carved in wood was reserved for private or family cults of divination or magic.

>> The weights used in the gold trade are miniature sculptures with great aesthetic qualities, these small objects cast by the lost-wax method, form a valued part of Akan art.