This is the rating and price for Fante Asafo Flag, 1957

Description : Fante Asafo Flag #68 depicts three figures in red and white, two on traditional stools who appear to be company captains, holding sword and whip, and a third pointing, over vivid yellow ground, with unidentified black-blue-red tricolor flag canton, and unusual 4-sided, thick border consisting of three solid bands of red, white, and pink. Size: 40 in h x 66 in w. Condition is good, with surface wear, some discoloration and worn edges, and faint pen marks where applique was planned, all consistent with age and use. Provenance: Private Collection, New York. Asafo flags are a striking folk art mix of traditional West African motifs with European heraldry. The Fante people along the coast of present-day Ghana have long maintained an elaborate system of Asafo or military companies, whose ceremonial practices involved the creation of unique cloth flags. The double-sided flags, usually made of cotton or silk with embroidered or applique details, often depicted Akan proverbs or imagery representing boasts or taunts, often humorous or surreal, in bold colors and striking, asymmetrical compositions, combined with decorative borders and cantons showing the flags and insignia of the British, who had a complicated history of both alliance and competition with the Fante Confederacy. This is one of a large and varied collection of Fante Afaso flags in this auction. The flags were used to identify villages and convey messages, often for protection from rival villages and the Ashante people from the west, and later were used in festivals and ceremonies. These changing traditions reflect moments of transcultural exchange that were part of larger historical shifts, from trade with the Portuguese in the 15th Century, to British colonial rule in the 19th Century, to Independence in 1957. Ghana flags in canton indicate post-Independence origin, 1957 or later. The British flag suggests possible pre-Independence origin, however dating of this collection has not been determined. Please call or email for a detailed condition report.

Sale data is available to Premium subscribers. View plans

Details