Soul-Washer's Disk (Akrafokunmu) (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

19th–20th century
Asante
gold
Africa,Ghana
Overall: 1 × 5 1/4 in. (2.54 × 13.34 cm)
87.463
Young men and women of the Asante court, known as soul washers (akrafo), serve the king and assist in rites of purification and renewal. Their status is conveyed by circular ornate gold disks suspended over their chests by fiber necklace strands.
Kathleen Boone Samuels Memorial Fund
Fortune, Courage, Love: Arts of Africa’s Akan and Kuba Kingdoms from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, William King Museum, Abingdon, Virginia, March 28 - July 12, 2015; Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia, September 26, 2015 - January 3, 2016; Piedmont Arts, Martinsville, Virginia, January 16 - March 6, 2016

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