This is the rating and price for Fante Asafo Flag, 1910

Description : Fante Asafo Flag #118 'Cat & Mice / Enema' by maker Nana Egyei of workshop Komenda, Central Region Ghana, circa 1910–20s, depicts a combination of two proverbs: “When the cat is dead, the mice are happy” and “Do you want an enema before you eat, or do you want to eat first? A dead cat with mice is a symbol used to belittle rivals. Two figures depicting an enema procedure is a symbol to mock other companies and portray them as cowards and slackers. Eating and enema are considered absurd excuses to avoid conflict. Yellow ground, with interesting black and green with white cross flag canton, and loose white fringe with no border. Size: 43 in ih x 70 in w. Condition is as-is, with heavy wear, discoloration, stains, and holes throughout, 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. Please call or email for a detailed condition report. We are grateful to Barbara Eyeson for identifying the specific artists and meanings behind these flags.

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