Necklace
before 1874 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This necklace of variegated glass beads and metal pendant was made in Asante state, Ghana, West Africa, a region made wealthy through a historic trade in gold and slaves. Beads of this type (sometimes called ‘aggry’) were widely used in trade in West Africa although it is thought that they originally came from Europe, possibly Italy.
The necklace consists of forty-six glass beads spaced with discs of hide. The pendant is formed of an iron piece in the shape of an animal’s head into which has been stuffed a core of plant fibre, overlaid with strips of hide and red felt, then the whole bound with fibre string.
The necklace may have been worn by a member of the court. A large number of pieces of court regalia found their way to Britain after British forces invaded the Asante capital of Kumasi on 4 February 1874. The Asantehene (ruler of Asante state), Kofi Karikari, fled leaving behind much precious regalia which was captured.
The necklace consists of forty-six glass beads spaced with discs of hide. The pendant is formed of an iron piece in the shape of an animal’s head into which has been stuffed a core of plant fibre, overlaid with strips of hide and red felt, then the whole bound with fibre string.
The necklace may have been worn by a member of the court. A large number of pieces of court regalia found their way to Britain after British forces invaded the Asante capital of Kumasi on 4 February 1874. The Asantehene (ruler of Asante state), Kofi Karikari, fled leaving behind much precious regalia which was captured.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Glass beads separated by hide discs, pendant of iron with plant fibre, red felt and hide |
| Brief description | Necklace composed of a string of variegated beads of vitreous paste alternating with pieces of hide, with a pendant composed of iron cloth and hide, Asante, Ghana, 19th century |
| Physical description | Necklace composed of a string of 46 variegated beads of vitreous paste spaced with hide discs. Pendant in the form of an animal's head, composed of iron, red felt and hide. The pendant is probably a personal amulet containing something of totemic value to the original owner. It has been very carefully packaged in mixed textiles and iron and fibres. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Content description | Anglo-Asante War 1874: Bought from Sjt. Pearce |
| Style | |
| Object history | Purchased from Sergeant Pearce. The item was 'Received by stores' on 27 April 1874 suggesting its acquisition may be connected to the British invasion of Kumasi (capital of Asante state) on 4 February 1874. Displayed in "V and A Africa: Exploring Hidden Histories" 15th November 2012- 3rd February 2013 |
| Summary | This necklace of variegated glass beads and metal pendant was made in Asante state, Ghana, West Africa, a region made wealthy through a historic trade in gold and slaves. Beads of this type (sometimes called ‘aggry’) were widely used in trade in West Africa although it is thought that they originally came from Europe, possibly Italy. The necklace consists of forty-six glass beads spaced with discs of hide. The pendant is formed of an iron piece in the shape of an animal’s head into which has been stuffed a core of plant fibre, overlaid with strips of hide and red felt, then the whole bound with fibre string. The necklace may have been worn by a member of the court. A large number of pieces of court regalia found their way to Britain after British forces invaded the Asante capital of Kumasi on 4 February 1874. The Asantehene (ruler of Asante state), Kofi Karikari, fled leaving behind much precious regalia which was captured. |
| Associated objects |
|
| Bibliographic reference | Necklace featured in V&A web theme 'Trade Beads' http://web.archive.org/web/20221208152203/http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/periods_styles/hiddenhistories/tradebeads/index.html |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 3-1875 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | September 23, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
