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
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.