Flag of a Female Asafo Captain (Frankaa)
Arts of Africa
CULTURE
Fante
MEDIUM
Textile with appliqué and embroidery
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
- Place made: Central Region, Ghana
- Place collected: La, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
DATES
late 20th century
DIMENSIONS
56 3/4 x 35 in. (144.1 x 88.9 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Arts of Africa
ACCESSION NUMBER
2009.39.3
CREDIT LINE
Designated Purchase Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
The object is a double sided, textile (cotton?) Asafo flag. The flag is composed of a patchwork of different colored (cotton?) fabrics sewn together with various colored (cotton?) thread. Appliqué and embroidery are used as design elements on both sides of the flag. All embroidery appears to be done in a chain stitch.
The hoist of the flag is made of a band of beige fabric that has been folded over and sewn along the vertical edge to allow room for a pole. Two lashings of fabric are secured to both the top and bottom of the hoist, assumedly for use as ties. An exterior border of fringe, consisting of two layers of cut beige fabric, is found on both the top and bottom lengths and the fly end of the flag. Immediately within the fringe is a single band of alternating beige and black triangular fabric patches. A band of plain black fabric lies within the aforementioned band.
The canton (upper left quadrant) consists of a Ghanaian flag made with a patchwork of red, yellow and green fabric pieces and a black appliqué star.
The field consists primarily of a pink fabric background. There is a purple, ovoid-shaped, appliqué element with beige embroidered text in the central area.
Below the Ghanaian flag is an appliqué female figure with a suckling baby. The bodies of both the baby and the woman are a purple-maroon fabric. The woman has a light green/blue appliqué dress and blue hair. She wears a blue and red embroidered bracelet and band in her She also has gold embroidered earrings and necklace. The eyes of both figures have a beige embroidered outline and black pupil. The lips on both figures have a beige embroidered outline and red central section. All fingers are delineated by beige embroidery and ears by light yellow.
The baby is covered in a blue appliqué blanket and there is an off-white, appliqué stool/crib (?) located beneath the female figure.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Fante. Flag of a Female Asafo Captain (Frankaa), late 20th century. Textile with appliqué and embroidery, 56 3/4 x 35 in. (144.1 x 88.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Designated Purchase Fund, 2009.39.3. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2009.39.3_PS1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 2009.39.3_PS1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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