iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Asante linguist staff finial (okyeame poma). Ghana, early 20th century. Carved wood, hammered gold foil. 15.5 h × 6.5 w × 6 d in (39 × 17 × 15 cm). “If your intentions are good people will help.” Cooperation leads to success.”

Asante linguist staff finial (okyeame poma).
Ghana, early 20th century. Carved wood, hammered gold foil. 15.5 h × 6.5 w × 6 d in (39 × 17 × 15 cm).
A number of okyeame poma represent messages of cooperative behavior within the state and between the King and his subjects. For example two men helping each other with climbing a tree or working may represent a saying “If your intentions are good people will help.” Cooperation leads to success. #asante #akan #ghana #mooscollection

010

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Akan or Baule court regalia footwear, Côte d'Ivoire. Wood covered with gold foil, textile, 28cm. Like the two Baule pith helmets in the collection, this pair of intricately carved courtly footwear are true skeuomorphs-objects in the same shapes as the originals, yet carefully carved from wood.

010

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

A beautiful portrait of three young ladies- an original silver gelatin print by Seydou Keïta, Bamako, Mali 1956. Two of the subjects are wearing an early fashion design of Vlisco’s “La Famille”, first introduced in 1952. 4.75” x 7”. Seydou Keïta’s stamp and date on reverse. #mooscollection

000

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Baule double faced (Janus) heddle pulley from Côte d‘Ivoire, 15cm without base. It’s missing the inner wheel and spindle. Baule heddle pulleys are functional display objects used both as a tool on the loom to help ease the movement of the heddles when weaving, and also as prestige objects.

000

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Asante gold weight of a grasshopper cast directly from nature…

010

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Asante Prestige figure, Ghana. Wood covered with gold foil. 19 cm. This figure is displayed along with items of the Royal West African Frontier Force (R.W.A.F.F. Car badge specific to the Gold Coast and uniform buttons).

This figure is displayed along with items of the Royal West African Frontier Force (R.W.A.F.F. Car badge specific to the Gold Coast and uniform buttons).
Asante Prestige figure, Ghana. Wood covered with gold foil. 19 cm.
Images of figures that display weapons and arms emphasizes the strength of the chief and his people and their superiority and readiness for war. This figure’s attire holds strong similarities to the uniforms worn by Ghanaian soldiers of the Royal West African Frontier Force during WWI/ WWII and after into the 1950s. It possibly represents an individual of high standing in the community that wanted to commemorate this important accomplishment and status in his life. Published: Lüthi, Werner & David, Jean (2009). Exhibition catalogue: Helvetic Gold Museum Burgdorf. Gold in West African Art. Zurich: Galerie Walu, p. 12
Exhibited: Helvetic Gold Museum Burgdorf (2009).#asante #akan #mooscollection

030

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Happy Chinese Lunar year of the snake! Baule cast gold alloy pendant of a coiled snake in fine wax thread technique. 3.9" L x 3" W. In Akan proverbs the coiled snake often are symbols of femininity and fertility. Ex Zemanek-Münster ex Roland Hartman ex René David ex Roger Bédiat #mooscollection

060

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

The icon of my collection. Akan cast gold pendant mask, Côte D’Ivoire/Ghana 9.70cm. From the estate of Olga Hirshhorn #mooscollection

040

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

The first is an intricately carved Baule “sika blawa” female figure. Carved wood, gold foil. Côte d’Ivoire. H 27.62cm. — Ex Swiss private collection, EX Jean Paul Delcourt, Abidjan. The second is another intricately carved Baule female figure “Sika Blawa”, wood covered with gold foil 35.5 cm H…

Call me superstitious but I still give these spirit beings offerings when they enter the collection. I believe that such objects carry a lot of power within them and should be given the respect that was originally intended. The first is an intricately carved Baule “sika blawa” female figure. Carved wood, gold foil. Côte d’Ivoire. H 27.62cm. — Ex Swiss private collection, EX Jean Paul Delcourt, Abidjan. The second is another intricately carved Baule female figure “Sika Blawa” from Côte d’Ivoire, wood covered with gold foil 35.5 cm H. Ex René David. Displayed:
Musée International du Golfe de Guinée, Lomé, Togo (2005-2011) #mooscollection #baule

030

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

A group of Akan pendants from a period when great wealth was brought to individuals in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire with the introduction of the crop Cocoa…

030

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Although these beautiful and intricately cast beads were collected in Ghana, the design and technique points to the Baule or Lagoons goldsmiths of Côte d’Ivoire. That said, similar designs have been produced in the neighboring coastal Akan states of Ghana…

050

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Another Baule or Akan “Abotire” chief/Dignitary’s head band. This example is missing one of its “bongo horns” ornamental amulet on the right side. Côte d’Ivoire. Felt, fabric, wood, gold foil. #mooscollection #akan #baule

040

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

A Baule or Akan chief’s crown from Côte d’Ivoire. Fabric, wood covered with gold leaf. The chief crowns and other headwear, aside from the abotire are in the category “kye”. Similar to the abotire the entire top is enclosed and is covered with amulets made of wood and gold foil. #mooscollection

030

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

An exceptional Akan necklace from Ghana/ Côte D’Ivoire consisting of gold beads (10K-18K) with a downward pointing gold alloy crescent moon shaped pendant with spikes or rays at the top. Rare large glass Venetian cylindrical beads (1850-1920) alternate with the gold beads…

030

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

A beautifully cast silver Akan pendant. Côte d’Ivoire/Ghana. Radial sun motif with a central ancestral mask…

040

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

An Akan (Côte d’Ivoire/Ghana) gold/silver alloy demi-parure. This design was influenced by Victorian fashion. 19 inches long. The earrings measure approximately 1 3/4 inches long. From the estate of Olga Hirshhorn.

An Akan (Côte d’Ivoire/Ghana) gold/silver alloy demi-parure. This design was influenced by Victorian fashion. It consists of a necklace strung with numerous tubular beads and suspended triple spherical bead pendants, together with a matching pair of earrings. The interest in Victorian designs continued into modern times making the dating of such items more difficult. 19 inches long. The earrings measure approximately 1 3/4 inches long. A measured spectrum analysis was performed and concluded that it consists of 79.10% silver, 17.28% gold, and 3.62% copper. From the estate of Olga Hirshhorn #akan #mooscollection

040

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Akan (MAMPRUSSI?) three-stranded chain with mudfish pendant, Ghana, cast silver alloy (chain 500. Pendant 700). 67g. 14.4” L, mudfish 3.5”.

030

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Asante items of the gold trade, displayed with natural gold nuggets from various locations. The scales (nsania) were used to weigh out gold with cast bronze “gold weights”…

020

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Akan sculptural sword hilt. Wood, gold foil.

I believe this sculptural sword hilt represents a vulture or “Opete”. There are many Asante proverbs associated with the vulture and it also symbolizes self-begetting, self-creation, and self-birth. It is the animal that symbolizes Odomankoma, the Akan deity who created the world. Regardless which type of bird it represents, one proverb for a perched bird is: “Anoma anntu a, obua da”. Literally: If a bird does not fly, it goes to bed hungry. You must take action if you want to make a living. Wood covered with gold foil. Côte d’Ivoire or Ghana. #mooscollection #akan

020

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Two first edition books in the collection: Thomas Bowdich’s “Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee, with a Statistical Account of that Kingdom,” 1819. The top book is “The Downfall of Prempeh I, A diary of life with the native Levy in Ashanti 1895-1896”, 1896 by Robert Baden-Powell.

030

mooscollection.org @mooscollection.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Asante chief’s ring “mpetea”, gold, Ghana. H 2.36”. One goldsmith in Kumasi named this ring as ahwehweba. Other people in Kumasi thought that it represented the proverb: Ti koro nko agyina. “One head does not make a council.” There should be consultation when an important decision is to be made.

040