The Ashanti/Asante are one of the many tribes that make up the Akan polity. They all share general cultural trends while maintaining separate tribal identities. Their society is highly ritualised, with numerous gods under a main deity who varies according to the group in question (Onyame – the Supreme One – is the Asante deity), and a host of lesser gods (Abosom) who are mostly connected with the natural world (earth, ocean, rivers, animals etc). The society is ruled by Asantahenes, and a host of minor chiefs. The Ashanti live in the central portion of the country, and are one of the most important groups from the artistic point of view. Their Akuaba dolls are one of the most recognisable forms on the continent, while their fascination with gold (which the Akan consider a physical manifestation of life’s vital force, or “kra”) has given rise to a plethora of artefactual and artistic production.

This unusually large sculpture of a mother and child has been covered in thin sheets of silver. The mother is seated upon a stool, a symbol of authority and high-ranking status in African art. She holds an infant upon her lap and offers a breast. She wears sandals upon her feet, another mark of rank among the Asante.