Prestige Combs
Ashanti - Akan - Fante
Ghana

All Akan speaking women of Ghana,
the Anyi, Ashanti, Baoule, Fante and their slaves included, used hair
combs. Depending on her wealth or beauty, a woman might
have owned three or four. They could have been purchased, obtained as a
gift from admirers, or presented at marriage. Huge old bridal
examples were used to adorn the home.

This oversized prestige
example was
likely a bridal comb. It is as beautiful as it is regal, measuring + - 33 cms
/ 13 inches. The two faces are representations of an Akuaba doll,
which itself represents fertility, beauty and life. These heads and a rising star surmount a
throne, it suited for a king or queen. Combs such as this have been used
for hundreds of years to adorn the homes and palaces of the Ashanti.
Another

This smaller
example also has two Akuaba faces and measures + - 27 cms, or 10.5 inches.
The deep patina confirms it was well used as a hair comb /
hair ornament.
Another

This fine old
Ashanti or Akan comb includes two delightful detailed snakes.
Ghanaian people
frequently use proverbs in daily life to clarify anything and
everything. The wide verity of abstract and naturalistic shapes
found on their combs, for the most part represent local proverbs.
Combs and the carvings found on them,
reveal these
proverbs without the use of words. The snake motif said; A snake is like
a rope, but is not to be used to tie a load. (+ - 17 cms / 6.5
inches)
Another
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This example includes
symbolism and proverbs overall.
A stunning Akan wedding comb surmounted
with two birds.
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We are told the object is of sankofa design.
The symbolism of two birds facing opposite directions indicates this
was the property of a chiefs wife. The proverb reads: "The chief
sees everything, even what is behind him".