This is another cousin to the Ashanti atompan, the same type as the other Fanti atompan on this page. This one measures 33 1/2" tall and is also covered with tribal symbols. Like the Ashanti atompan on this page this drum is genuine, old and exceptional. Please click on the image to see 2 more views of this beautiful drum.
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7 1/2" long. Please click on the image to see 2 more views of this authentic old fetish figure.
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This is an extraordinary object. It is old and worn, having been in the possession of the Fanti king for a long time. The symbols all represent proverbs which refer to qualities the king should possess to be the best ruler possible. The fish is a mudfish which symbolizes both power and submission to power. When the mudfish gets fat it becomes food for the crocodile, which is the symbol of the power of the king. But, as with most proverbial lessons, it also reinforces the importance of the relationship of the people to the king, the dependence the king has on his people. The dichotomy of the role of the king is also symbolized by the crocodile in that the crocodile lives in the water but must breathe the air. That is, it lives in two worlds. The king must be able to negotiate both the world of the people and the world of the ruling elite. The small tree with a nest with 3 eggs in it is "nyame dua" the tree of God. The image represents an offering to God and means that the ruler should fear nothing but God. The snail represents patience and the virtue of work; it takes effort to remove the snail from the shell to eat it but it is nourishing and worth that effort. The turtle represents independence in that it carries its house with it wherever it goes. The coiled snake with a hornbill in its mouth represents perseverence and patience. The story behind it is that the hornbill borrowed money from snake but refused to pay it back saying that its ability to fly would keep it out of reach of the snake. Then years later faced with a drought and shrinking water holes, the hornbill was finally forced to come down for a drink and the snake got him.
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This is a close cousin to the Ashanti atompan. This one measures 34 1/2" tall and is covered with tribal symbols. Like the Ashanti atompan on this page this drum is genuine, old and exceptional. Please click on the image to see two closeups of this fabulous object. The drum bears the inscription, carved into it, "Kwekuewuah A Ghnaa".
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