In June 2011, Banda Research Project team member Amanda Logan collaborated with local artist Kwame K.B. 2 to develop paintings for the doors of the Banda Cultural Centre's courtyard. The paintings illustrate crafts practiced in the area for which we have archaeological evidence. This image shows a blacksmith forging iron. Based on the presence of byproducts like slag and the tools used to make metal, we know that blacksmiths smelted and forged iron in the Banda area from at least 1000 years ago. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, June, 2016.
In June 2011, Banda Research Project team member Amanda Logan collaborated with local artist Kwame K.B. 2 to develop paintings for the Banda Cultural Centre's courtyard doors. The paintings illustrate crafts practiced in the area for which we have archaeological evidence. This image shows a woman headloading pottery on her way to market. Pottery making and marketing has been practiced in the Banda area for thousands of years. Scientific studies of pottery from archaeological sites across the region show that pottery was made in different locations over time and was widely traded within and beyond the region. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, June, 2016.
In June 2011, Banda Research Project team member Amanda Logan collaborated with local artist Kwame K.B. 2 to develop paintings for the Banda Cultural Centre's courtyard doors. The paintings illustrate crafts practiced in the area for which we have archaeological evidence. This image shows a woman spinning cotton thread (right) and a man wearing a locally made blue-and-white strip-woven cloth (left). Archaeologists find spindle whorls used to make thread on late 18th-and early 19th-century archaeological sites. This shows that households produced their own cloth during recent centuries. Before the 17th century, cotton cloth seems to have been less common and was probably acquired through trade from market centers. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, June, 2016.
In June 2011, Banda Research Project team member Amanda Logan collaborated with local artist Kwame K.B. 2 to develop paintings for the Banda Cultural Centre's courtyard doors. The paintings illustrate handicrafts practiced in the area for which we have archaeological evidence. Here Kwame K.B. 2 stands next to his painting of a woman carrying pottery to market. Ahenkro, 8 June, 2011.
Banda Queen Mother Lelԑԑ Akosua Kepefu (center) shows an example of locally made strip-woven cloth to a young painter as a model for a painting on the Banda Cultural Centre doors. Enoch Mensah holds one end of the cloth. To the right, Afua Fofie, Linguist, looks on with artist Kwame K.B. 2. They stand on Ahenkro's main street (view towards the south). Ahenkro, 5 June, 2011.
Archaeological excavations of Mound 6 at Ngre Kataa in 2009 expose a workshop where blacksmiths produced iron and copper-alloy tools and ornaments. The mound is being excavated in 2 x 2 meter units named for the coordinates of their northeast corner. In unit 50N 0W (foreground), an area of burned soil marks the location where blacksmiths heated metals. A pottery jar sits in place to the right. In surrounding units (50N 2W, 48N 0W, 48N 2W) are large anvil stones where the hot metals would have been hammered and shaped through forging. The mound's stratified deposits suggest that the workshop area was used for many decades, and perhaps centuries, between the years of about 1350 and 1520 CE (Common Era). View across the mound from the northeast looking towards the southwest. Site Ngre Kataa. 27 June, 2009.
A crucible used to process copper alloys from Kuulo Kataa, Mound 130, Unit 95E 102N, Level 12. Crucibles like this would have been used to heat copper alloys to a liquid state for use in casting, including casting through a lost-wax process. Scale in cm. Kuulo Kataa, 27 June, 2000.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Kuulo Kataa, Mound 130, Unit 95E 102N, Level 12
Location(s) Facet:
Kuulo Kataa
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Metal casting; Metalworking; Copper alloys; Lost wax casting; Archaeology; Lost-wax process; Crucibles; Artifacts (Antiquities)
Excavations in unit 42N 4W have exposed clusters of pottery, grinding stones, tuyeres and an area of burned soil associated with metal working at Mound 6, Ngre Kataa. Foreground, left, a grinding stone (GS 08-10) rests with its working surface face down. It sits at a slightly higher level than a nearby (left) whole pottery jar (NK 08-406). To the right of these, a partial pot (NK 08-282) and a tuyere fragment (NK 08-284) are clustered together with two halves of a broken pottery jar, lying with its exterior surface facing down. To the south (behind), near the sign board and framed by photo scales, is a burned feature. Next to it sits a hand-held hammerstone (GS 08-11). Another partial pottery jar (NK 08-520) and a small flat grinding stone (GS 08-12) have been exposed to the left of the sign board at 77 cm below the unit's datum. The narrow dark bands visible in the soil are the traces of animal burrows. Photo scale adjacent to the sign board in centimeters. View looking south. Site Ngre Kataa. 7 July 2008.
The circular outline of a burned basin (Feature 3) is bracketed by photo scales (center) in unit 50N 4W (130 cm below the unit datum) at Mound 6. A pottery jar sits to the right side of the basin, its opening covered by a potsherd lid. To the left, a grinding stone sits, grinding surface down, over top of another pottery jar. Burned features like these were associated with metal working in this Mound 6 workshop area. Photo scale at bottom in centimeters. Site Ngre Kataa. 29 June, 2009.
The circular outline of a burned basin (Feature 3) is bracketed by photo scales (left of center) in unit 50N 4W (130 cm below the unit datum) at Mound 6. A pottery jar sits to the right side of the basin, its opening covered by a potsherd lid. To the left, a grinding stone sits, grinding surface down, over top of another pottery jar. Another grinding stone (far left) sits at a higher level in unit 50N 6W. A second burned feature is associated with a grinding stone tipped on its side, far right. Another pottery jar sits nearby, also lidded with a broken sherd. Burned features like these were associated with metal working in this Mound 6 workshop area. Photo scale at bottom in centimeters. Site Ngre Kataa. 29 June, 2009.
A folded textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. The name of this cloth design is Kakya. Single strands of blue warp thread create vertical lines against a background of white warp and weft threads. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A wooden spindle wrapped with cotton thread rests on top of a folded black-and-white textile made from handwoven cotton strips. Cloth of this design is called Kyara. Hand stiching can be seen along the edges where strips have been sewn together. These were among heirloom objects on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship by Dr. Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft;
A bow-shaped tool (klada in Nafaanra) made from flexible wood and taut string rests on a folded handwoven blue-and-white textile called Kyara. Women used the bow to prepare cotton for spinning into thread. After removing seeds from the cotton, they held the bow's string over the fibers. Plucking the string caused cotton fibers to stick to it. By pulling up on the bow, the cotton became fluffed and its fibers aligned, making it easier to spin. The klada and handwoven textiles seen in the picture were among heirloom objects on display as part of a Heritage Day and Olden Times Foods Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. Ahenkro, 2014-07-31.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Kyekye and is sewn from strips of similar dark blue-and-white design. Variation in patterning is created by offsetting strips. Sections of solid color created by weaving blue weft over blue warp threads are sewn to strip sections with horizontal stripes created by alternating blue and white weft threads. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A folded white textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre, with sponsorship from Amanda L. Logan. The name of this cloth design is Bɔfige. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Two folded textiles made from handwoven cotton strips, pieced together in a design called Dɔnkɔnfra. They were photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. One cloth rests on top of the other. The lighter colored strips in each cloth have white warp threads woven together with white, red and blue weft threads. Darker strips were woven from blue and white warp and weft threads. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A folded gray-and-white textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. Textiles of this design are called Gbenalekinu. A narrow band of red woven accent can be seen on two of the strips. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Mmɔlɔ and is sewn from strips of similar blue-and-white striped design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
8.165892, -2.354363
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Two textiles made from handwoven cotton strips rest on an aluminum tray, together with a spindle wrapped with locally made cotton thread, next to which is some unspun fluffed cotton. This blue-and-white cloth design is known as Mmɔlɔ Kyara. Visible at the top of the image are two baskets in which women keep their spinning equipment. To the right, a calabash ladle rests inside a calabash bowl (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra). These heirloom objects were among displays at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship by Dr. Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
A folded textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. The name of this cloth design is Mmɔlɔ Kyara. A wood spindle wrapped with locally made cotton thread rests alongside the cloth. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
8.165892, -2.354363
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Two folded textiles made from handwoven cotton strips, pieced together in a design called Mmɔlɔ Kyara. They were photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. One cloth is made from alternating strips of white and blue-and-white striped cloth. The other is made of similar blue-and-white strips, in which white weft threads create a checkered design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Two textiles made from handwoven cotton strips rest on an aluminum tray, together with a spindle wrapped with locally made cotton thread, next to which is some unspun fluffed cotton. This blue-and-white cloth design is known as Mmɔlɔ Kyara. Visible at the top of the image are two baskets in which women keep their spinning equipment. To the right, a calabash ladle rests inside a calabash bowl (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra). These heirloom objects were among displays at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship by Dr. Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Nyankakya and is sewn from strips of similar white-and-blue design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Surugukawa and is sewn from strips of similar blue-and-white striped design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Several folded textiles made by sewing together handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Yongokyara and is sewn from alternating strips of white or white-and-blue and dark blue-and-white designs. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft;
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Yowɔɔ and is sewn from strips of similar dark blue-and-white striped design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Owusu Alexander weaves a large raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. To the left, wrapped on a stick that is leaning against a stack of sun-dried bricks, is a narrow mat that he wove to demonstrate mat weaving techniques. Four large pottery jars rest upside down near a house wall in the background. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has secured four split fronds around his left index finger as he weaves with his right hand. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Ewe fishermen Maxwell Gbadago (left) and Dzobo Sebastian (right) use knives to remove knots and shape bamboo sticks that they will use in weaving a basketry fish trap. A number of unsplit bamboo stalks await processing. A large blue industrially made fish net is laid out behind where they sit. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Ewe (African people)
A dried raffia palm frond prepared for mat weaving. The stiff end of the frond has been removed and the frond has been split into two pieces almost to the base. Owusu Alexander folds and layers the two halves before weaving. Leaving the pieces attached at the base facilitates his weaving process. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. He weaves with his right hand as he secures the work with his left hand, wrapping two frond portions around his index finger as he weaves. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a bundle of raffia palm frond strips. He has removed these from the leaves as he prepared materials for mat weaving. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. He folds one set of fronds over the other with his right hand, while using his left index finger to secure his work. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a knife to split dried raffia fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. He removes the stiff rib and splits the resulting two side pieces of the frond in half, leaving a few centimeters at the base of each half unsplit. Here he folds the unsplit end in half, which allows him to easily layer the two halves when he adds them to his mat. Weaving with layered frond pieces makes a thicker and more durable mat. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Dzobo Rubben, an Ewe fisherman, carries a cutlass in his right hand and a long bamboo stalk over his left shoulder. He has harvested the bamboo from riparian forest along the Volta River in preparation for making a fish trap. Volta River, 16 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a cutlass, raffia palm fronds and a stick that he has cut from the base of raffia palm frond. He has harvested these raffia materials in preparation for weaving a mat. Sabyie, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander lays out raffia palm fronds to dry in the sun. He has harvested the fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Dried raffia palm fronds, sorted in preparation for mat making. Owusu Alexander has separated the portion of the fronds he will use for mat making from those portions that are not useful. The stiff ribs (right) can be used to make brooms and the thin pieces (left) will be used as tinder in making fires. The fronds in the center are those that he will use in mat weaving. The knife he has used to separate the fronds lies on a tree root at his feet. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a raffia palm leaf from which he is stripping fronds that he will use to weave a mat. A group of stripped fronds lie on the ground by his feet. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a cutlass to trim the woody base of a raffia palm frond. He will use this stick as a base for weaving a raffia palm mat, rolling the mat on to the stick as the work progresses. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has wrapped three split fronds around his left index finger and uses his left thumb to secure a frond laid across these. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben weaves the top section of a basketry fish trap. He uses cordage to bundle bamboo sticks and narrow the trap toward its top. In lower rows, individual bamboo sticks are separated by two twists of rope. As the weaver nears the top, he reduces the twist between sticks to one, narrowing their spacing. In the next row he bundles two sticks separated by one twist. He then bundles four, then eight, creating a cone-shaped trap. Behind, another in-progress trap with narrower spacing between sticks stands upright against a shed. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
A partially finished basketry fish trap made from bamboo and vine cordaage sits upright in the Ewe fishing village of Akanykrom. This resettled village was established after the community was displaced by construction of Bui Dam. Fish traps like these can no longer be used downstream of the dam because of reduced water flow, nor can they be used on the lake behind the dam. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben weaves a basketry fish trap. He uses cordage to secure the bamboo sticks, using his feet to hold the trap in place as he weaves using cordage made from vines. These woven sticks will form the outer body of the basketry trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Ewe fishermen Dzobo Sebastian (center), and Dzobo Rubben (left) weave the tongue (exa woade in Ewe) of a basketry fish trap. They use vine cordage to secure the bamboo sticks. This portion of the trap is inserted into the woven cylindrical trap body, allowing fish to enter but blocking their exit from the basketry trap. Maxwell Gbadago (right) uses a wooden mallet to pound a vine that has been twisted and dried in order to remove its bark and make it pliable. The resulting rope will be used to weave remaining parts of the fish trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
An in-progress narrow raffia mat used as a teaching/learning aid. The mat is tied to a raffia palm stick that holds the mat in place as weaving proceeds. Loose raffia pieces extending from the middle and top of the mat represent places where raffia strands have been added or ended. These loose ends will be trimmed when the mat is completed. The active row of weaving is seen at the bottom of the picture. Sabiye, 28 July, 2022.
A wooden mallet used in rope making lies on the ground to the right of a coil of rope. This rope was made by beating the surface of a vine to remove its bark and soften its texture. The rope will be used to weave a large bamboo fish trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
A partially complete basketry fish trap made with bamboo sticks and vine cordage. View looking to the interior after four bracing hoops have been inserted. The hoops are placed at intervals to expand and brace the bamboo sticks that make up the trap's outer body. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben holds the woven triangular bamboo-and-rope cover to the basketry fish trap as Dzobo Sebastian secures it in place. This cover can be removed to access fish in the trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fishermen Dzobo Rubben (left), Maxwell Gbadago (center) and Dzobo Sebastian (right) stand alongside a bamboo fish trap that they made from locally harvested resources. The trap is oriented in the way it would be placed in the water, braced by two long sticks that would be driven into the river bottom. The trap would also be secured by a rope anchoring the trap to a nearby tree or other secure object. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben uses a cutlass to smooth a stick that will be used to make the interior hoops that open and brace the inside of basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work; Cutlasses
Subjects Facet:
Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Sebastian forms a hoop from a flexible stick. He uses his feet to secure the stick as he makes a hoop of the right size to stretch and brace the bamboo sticks of the outer body of a basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Cordage used to secure a hoop formed from a flexible stick. The hoop will be used to stretch and brace the bamboo sticks of the outer body of a basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
The completed interior trap (tongue, exa woade in Ewe) made of bamboo that will be inserted into the outer body of the basketry fish trap. Once inserted and secured, the tongue allows fish to enter but blocks their exit from the trap. A twisted vine lies on the ground in front of the inner trap. This is the first step in processing the vine into rope like that used to weave the trap. A bale of industrially made blue fishing net sits in the background. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Dzobo Rubben, an Ewe fisherman, holds a vine that has been twisted in preparation for rope making. The vine will be set aside to dry for several days before being processed by pounding with a wooden mallet. The rope will be used in fish trap making. Bamboo sticks that will be used for the body of the basketry fish trap can be seen lying on the ground in the background. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Sebastian uses rope made from a vine to secure bamboo sticks as he weaves a basketry fish trap. He has woven a first row, now secured by pegs, and is moving in the opposite direction as he weaves a second row. He uses his feet to secure the bamboo sticks as he twists the cord between sticks. Behind him is a wooden mallet used to process the cordage. A large blue industrially made fish net is stretched out behind him. Akanyakrom, 21 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben weaves the top section of a basketry fish trap made of bamboo and vine cordage, securing the trap with his feet as he works. He uses cordage to bundle bamboo sticks and narrow the trap toward its top. In lower rows, individual bamboo sticks are separated by two twists of rope. As the weaver nears the top, he reduces the twist between sticks to one, narrowing their spacing. In the next row he bundles two sticks separated by one twist. He then bundles four, then eight, creating a cone-shaped trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled);8.246709, -2.244840
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Skilled craftsmen at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi, Ghana demonstrate techniques of lost wax casting by making souvenir items like the brass bottle opener pictured here (bottom left). To the right (and top left) is a discarded lost-wax-casting mold that has been broken open to remove the finished objects. This mold produced two bottle openers. The inside of the mold shows the impressions left by the original wax models when they were encased in ashy clay (black matrix). Visbile toward the base of the casting mold are impressions of the tubes, out of which the melted wax drained and through which the molten brass was poured to fill the mold. Brass bottle opener height: 9 cm. Kumasi, Ghana. 4 July 2009.