The Ashanti in Ghana and their southern neighbours, the Fante, know such prestige swords, also called ‘state swords’ (when the hilts are covered with gold leaf). These swords are not weapons, but rather objects of prestige and rank, which are presented by high dignitaries during ceremonial occasions. Their blades are always elaborately forged in iron. The blade of the present prestige sword consists of two parts: the front flat part which becomes wider towards the front, is forged in openwork and dyed black. On the inside it displays two tortoises (or crocodiles?) lying at right angles on top of each other, with a standing bird (reversed) below. Both the figural representations are framed by openwork triangles and squares. The broad, upper rounded area terminates in two blunt projections. This flat and broad part of the sword displays additionally a fine engraved line decoration, and is riveted below to a writhing snake.
This snake, curled into seven curls, is also forged in iron. The scales of its body are hammered in, in its upper section, and the head of the snake is inserted into the wooden sword hilt. This wooden hilt consists of two large spheres, connected with a short, round intermediary piece. The entire hilt is decorated with a deep, linear geometric chip-carving relief and terminates in a point with triple relief. An old prestige object of the Ashanti or Fante, with three small breaks to the upper, flat iron part and a few insignificant losses due to age in the relief of the wooden hilt. Overall with a good, age-related patina. Length: c. 98 cm; width: 16 cm. Between c. 1900 and the first third of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Austrian private collection.

Lit.: ‘Panga na visu. Kurzwaffen, geschmiedete Kultgegenstände und Schilde aus Afrika’ by Zirngibl and Kubetz, ill. 47, 51.