AKAN, GHANA OR IVORY COAST

‍

A handsome Asante necklace with a circular, openwork gold pendant. The space within the ring is quartered by crossbars, and each quadrant is filled with a single floating spiral of tightly wound gold wire. A dense arrangement of flat-faced gold plugs and openwork rosettes encrust the chain, which would shift and shimmer with reflections when worn.

Asante gold necklaces featuring disk-shaped pendants, known as akrafokonmu or ‘soul washer’s disks,’ are symbols of leadership, spirituality, and protection. These ornate gold discs are traditionally worn by rulers, queen mothers, and officials called akrafo, who perform rituals to cleanse leaders’ souls. Intricate, radiating patterns are often worked into the faces of these disks, evoking the sun’s life-giving energy and underscoring gold’s association with the vital life force (kra).

‍