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The Fante people from Ghana are part of
the Akan culture, which includes the Asante along with other peoples from Ghana. Military organizations known as Asafo
are found in many Akan states, and contain both men and women. “Asafo adopted certain European
military practices such as marching in formation, identifying companies by name
and number, and carrying and saluting flags.”[1]
They are significant because of their
military, political, religious, and public functions. The Asafo created
flags and began “fighting with art.” The flags are usually 4 ft x 6 ft
and
have the same image on both sides mirroring one another. Fante men sew
them by hand or machine
and they contain many individual pieces of solid fabric, although quite
rare,
patterned fabric is sometimes used.
Asafo flags contain many different colors, and naturalistic colors are
rare when it comes to the plants and animals depicted.
Animals, such as lions, elephants, and various birds, are seen in many Asafo flags and are key to the imagery of both the proverb displayed and the company it represents. An eagle always represents the No. 2 Company; they associate themselves with this animal because of it’s fierceness, knowledge, and wisdom. Blue is often the main color paired with the eagle imagery as representation of the sky, which is where “the ancestors noticed and observed the eagle could fly extremely high to undertake surveillance on whatever was being perpetuated by their enemies and others,”[2] which then symbolized a strength of the company. The eagle is shown in a No. 2 Company Asafo flag that depicts the proverb, “If the eagle gets the bone, it is for nothing. It belongs to the dog,” arguing only the rightful owner can use a disputed object.”[3] No. 2 Company elders used this proverb to represent a previous land issue between another company.
Larger flags are displayed as banners from poles, while chosen members of the company the flag represents dance individually for the smaller ones. Dancers are only allowed to perform the flags of their company. Flags are made when commissioned by a new officer and the older flags then become property of that company.
It is most common for the Asafo flags to depict their company’s strengths while also pointing out their competitor’s weaknesses. For example, a flag of the Abandze Company depicts two figures catching a group of fish with a net; this is a reference to a past encounter when “the Abandze Asafo defeated a large company from Kormantse just as easily as fisherman can trap numerous fish in their net.”[4] The flags are divided into three common themes, historical, emblematic, and proverbial, which are most commonly seen. Asafo flags displaying Fante proverbs are paired with imagery to help convey the meaning, and even though there are thousands of proverbs, “only about two hundred fifty are constantly used.”[5]
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[1] Kwame Labi, "Fante Asafo Flags of Abandze and Kormantse," African Arts, 35, no. 4 (2002): 28-37,
[2] Samuel Bentum, “Cultural Significance of Edina Asafo Company Posts” (PhD dissertation, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 2006).
[3] Doran Ross, "True Colours, Faux Flags, and Tattered Sales," African Arts, 43, no. 2 (2010): 1-7,
[4] Kwame Labi, "Fante Asafo Flags of Abandze and Kormantse," African Arts, 35, no. 4 (2002): 28-37,
[5] Doran Ross, Fighting with Art: Appliqued Flags of the Fante Asafo, (Los Angeles, California: UCLA Museum of Cultural History, 1979), 1-24.
Image source: Fante, Kweku Kakanu, Flag, 1950, Exhibition: 5/11/1991-9/18/1991, New Museum of Contemporary Art Exhibitions, (Image and original data from New Museum of Contemporary Art http://www.newmuseum.org/)
Animals, such as lions, elephants, and various birds, are seen in many Asafo flags and are key to the imagery of both the proverb displayed and the company it represents. An eagle always represents the No. 2 Company; they associate themselves with this animal because of it’s fierceness, knowledge, and wisdom. Blue is often the main color paired with the eagle imagery as representation of the sky, which is where “the ancestors noticed and observed the eagle could fly extremely high to undertake surveillance on whatever was being perpetuated by their enemies and others,”[2] which then symbolized a strength of the company. The eagle is shown in a No. 2 Company Asafo flag that depicts the proverb, “If the eagle gets the bone, it is for nothing. It belongs to the dog,” arguing only the rightful owner can use a disputed object.”[3] No. 2 Company elders used this proverb to represent a previous land issue between another company.
Larger flags are displayed as banners from poles, while chosen members of the company the flag represents dance individually for the smaller ones. Dancers are only allowed to perform the flags of their company. Flags are made when commissioned by a new officer and the older flags then become property of that company.
It is most common for the Asafo flags to depict their company’s strengths while also pointing out their competitor’s weaknesses. For example, a flag of the Abandze Company depicts two figures catching a group of fish with a net; this is a reference to a past encounter when “the Abandze Asafo defeated a large company from Kormantse just as easily as fisherman can trap numerous fish in their net.”[4] The flags are divided into three common themes, historical, emblematic, and proverbial, which are most commonly seen. Asafo flags displaying Fante proverbs are paired with imagery to help convey the meaning, and even though there are thousands of proverbs, “only about two hundred fifty are constantly used.”[5]
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[1] Kwame Labi, "Fante Asafo Flags of Abandze and Kormantse," African Arts, 35, no. 4 (2002): 28-37,
[2] Samuel Bentum, “Cultural Significance of Edina Asafo Company Posts” (PhD dissertation, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 2006).
[3] Doran Ross, "True Colours, Faux Flags, and Tattered Sales," African Arts, 43, no. 2 (2010): 1-7,
[4] Kwame Labi, "Fante Asafo Flags of Abandze and Kormantse," African Arts, 35, no. 4 (2002): 28-37,
[5] Doran Ross, Fighting with Art: Appliqued Flags of the Fante Asafo, (Los Angeles, California: UCLA Museum of Cultural History, 1979), 1-24.
Image source: Fante, Kweku Kakanu, Flag, 1950, Exhibition: 5/11/1991-9/18/1991, New Museum of Contemporary Art Exhibitions, (Image and original data from New Museum of Contemporary Art http://www.newmuseum.org/)