Asante Abamphruwa Bird Box – Metropolitan Museum Replica 1989

Description

Asante Gold Dust Bird Box

This Asante gold dust bird box is a vintage museum reproduction issued by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1989.

Inspired by an original Asante-Akan container from Ghana, the small rectangular box is made of cast pewter electroplated with 24K gold. It is officially marked “© MMA 1989” on the underside.

The hinged lid is decorated with an elaborate gathering of miniature sculpted birds arranged in several rows. Their bodies display spiral wing patterns, raised tails and carefully modelled details.

The sides of the box are covered with repeating geometric and floral motifs. The remaining gold-coloured finish contrasts beautifully with areas of green patination, creating the appearance of an archaeological metal object.

The interior is divided into two principal compartments, while an additional narrow compartment is incorporated into the lid.

Gold Dust Currency in Asante Society

Among the Akan and Asante peoples of Ghana, gold dust was historically used as currency. Merchants and family heads employed a specialised group of objects for weighing, exchanging and storing it.

These implements included small scales, measuring spoons, figurative gold weights and decorated containers known as abamphruwa.

Original Asante gold dust boxes were commonly cast in brass using the lost-wax process. Elaborately decorated examples featuring miniature sculptures are less common than undecorated containers.

Bird imagery occupies an important place in Akan visual culture and oral tradition. Groups of birds may refer to a Twi proverb expressing the idea that similar birds gather together, suggesting community, unity and shared identity.

Metropolitan Museum Reproduction

This piece is not an ancient African artefact. It is an authorised vintage museum reproduction produced for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1989.

Its museum association, intricate bird decoration and compact functional form make it an appealing decorative object and a collectible example of late twentieth-century museum merchandise.

Details

• Object: gold dust box reproduction
• Traditional name: abamphruwa
• Cultural inspiration: Asante-Akan
• Original geographical context: Ghana
• Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Date: 1989
• Mark: © MMA 1989
• Material: cast pewter electroplated with 24K gold
• Decoration: sculpted birds and geometric motifs
• Length: 7.9 cm
• Width: 3.4 cm
• Height: 2.9 cm
• Interior: two main compartments and one narrow lid compartment

Condition

Vintage condition with wear to the gold-plated finish, areas of green patination, oxidation and deposits within the recessed decoration. Old fibres or dust are visible between some of the birds.

The piece should only be cleaned gently and without abrasive products in order to preserve the remaining plated finish. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the description.

A distinctive museum reproduction combining Asante history, gold-dust currency traditions and richly detailed bird symbolism.