Ashanti Cast Bronze Kuduo Pot

Description

Ornate, cast brass/bronze vessels/pots (Kuduo) were the possessions of kings and courtiers in the Akan kingdoms, from pre 1900's. Gold … more Ornate, cast brass/bronze vessels/pots (Kuduo) were the possessions of kings and courtiers in the Akan kingdoms, from pre 1900's. Gold dust and nuggets were kept in the Kuduo, as were other items of personal value and significance. As receptacles, they were their owners’ kra, or life force. Such receptacles were featured in ceremonies designed to honor and protect that individual who owned them. At the time of death, a person’s Kuduo was filled with gold and other offerings and included in an assembly of items left at the burial site.

The elaborate form and complex iconography of this Kuduo reveal the broad range of aesthetic traditions from which the Akan peoples have drawn to create their courtly arts. Goods from Europe and North Africa, received in exchange for Akan gold, textiles, and slaves, included vessels that may have partly inspired the design of this and other Kuduos. The gathering of people and umbrella on the lid, and the repeating bands of geometric patterns incised into the surface and the flaring foot are all signs of a Kuduo that was created for a royal or prominent person.

This piece has been attributed based on archival documentation, such as vintage catalogs, designer records, or other literature sources less