Collection record · Small worlds
Disk Pendant (akrafokɔnmu)
The collection record classifies this work as jewelry. It is dated 1800s, before 1896. Recorded culture or place: Africa, West Africa, Ghana, Asante Empire/Kingdom, probably Kumasi, member of the goldsmiths’ guild.
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A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Disk Pendant (akrafokɔnmu)
- Date
- 1800s, before 1896
- Culture / origin
- Africa, West Africa, Ghana, Asante Empire/Kingdom, probably Kumasi, member of the goldsmiths’ guild
- Materials and technique
- Gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 9.8 cm (3 7/8 in.); Overall: 1.3 cm (1/2 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1935.310
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
Gold discs dangling on the chests of Akan state officials and elites showed their rank and duties. Worn by these akrafo (“soul people”) since the 1800s, they are often linked to kradware, officials who represent and purify (“wash”) the king’s soul. To make them, goldsmiths cast or flattened gold. Muslim North African gold coins likely inspired their form and material, while concentric water rings influenced their composition. This small disc is a typical pre-colonial example: asantehene (king) Prempeh I reportedly owned this disk. The British emptied his treasury after deposing and exiling him in 1896. Gold ornament making ceased until 1924; court officials now wear large discs.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Dudley P. Allen Fund · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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