Akan tribal king figurine; Ghana, first half of the 20th century.

Akan tribal king figurine; Ghana, first half of the 20th century.
Bronze.
Provenance: Guy Chevalier Collection, France.
Measurements: 45 x 11 x 20 cm

Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló.
Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935).

Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance.
A full-relief bronze sculpture depicting a full-length tribal king, wearing the typical Akan beard and holding a ceremonial knife.
The Akan are an ethnic group spread across southern Ghana, eastern Ivory Coast, and part of Togo. They have a matrilineal culture, and their art is widely recognized, especially their bronzes, cast using the lost-wax technique. A prominent figure in their mythology is Kwaku Ananse, a spirit depicted as a spider, a human, or a hybrid of the two, who has inspired numerous legends.