Lets keep real Ghanaian art -valuable ….

ASHANTI (GHANA)

ASHANTI (GHANA)

FANTI (GHANA)

FANTI (GHANA)

FANTI (GHANA)

ASHANTI (GHANA)

You’ll know from past post just how I feel about all those African masks & akua’ba dolls et al that are churned out daily on the streets of Accra… I can’t stand them but please note…. - don’t begrudge my fellow brothers -their right to make a living. I love the http://www.aaoarts.com/ website and refer to it when I need to verify African art pieces. Today I had more time and thought I’d explore more and ….I wasn’t surprised to find out that Ghanaian objet d’art goes for a lot less than other African art.

I’ve got two exquisite akua’ba dolls!! I bought them both from second-hand shops and one has a bit of age and the other is sooo beautiful and colourful and even though its has some damage and is dated circa 1990’s -I don’t care because I love it. I’ve had others bought for me …but I’ve sold them at various car boot sales as I truly can’t live with akua’ba dolls bought from T.K.Maxx or souvenirs shops or wherever. …. I don’t mind accusations that I’m an akua’ba doll snob but the truth is ……………. I’m sick and tired of seeing us with cheap -uber-replaceable-just-made-Ghanaian-artefacts when some of the most beautiful homes in the world are filled with [our] ancient funeral heads, exquisite antique Fanti dolls, museum fabulous Ashanti gold and brass weights and much more!!!

Why can’t we control what is made in Ghana??? We churn these so called Ghanaian art out sooo quickly that -‘our’ wooden art has lost its appeal and value!!! Also, I’m always shocked when I visit a Ghanaian hotel and they’re packed full of these cheap just made wooden bits & bobs….can’t we up our game and buy some of our ‘antique’ gems back and fill our places-of-importance with valuable art??? Why don’t we value our art -and why aren’t we trying to buy/get them back?

I must point out that I don’t begrudge those educated folks in the west who have and want beautiful ‘old’ African art.. - If they are clever enough to do their research and sniff out the best and the most valuable African art be it Ghanaian or whatever -then they deserve to have them and we don’t.

Anyway…… I know I’m going on but…acording to AAO Arts.com even our brothers next door, the Baoules from Côte d'Ivoire’s pieces are marginally more valuable -I wonder???

Link: http://www.aaoarts.com/

ASHANTI (GHANA)