CHAPTER 1
EKUMFOHEN (CHIEF EXECUTIONER)
Ekumfohen in Akan literally means the chief executioner. This piece of work is a composition made from an irregular Mahogany board that has the upper and lower portions broader and the middle section smaller. The wood board is made of pale red colour. The source of the wood can be traced from a small scale furniture shop where it was selected for the tops of side tables. Ekumfohen is a female figure composed with a frontal view.
Ekumfohen also known as abrafohen is dressed in traditional warrior's apparel that consists of a flamboyant head guard, neck guard, chest guard and body suit. In addition there are knives for her task. She wears a pair of ear rings fashioned from Edinkra symbol that runs from the ear loop to the shoulder level, and also a simple, but broad neck band. The head guard is in the form of a head helmet and covers the top, side and lower portions of the head and face, leaving only the eye section for effective vision and focus. The top front of the helmet has been decorated with a pair of bull's horns facing each other. Edges of the head guard have been attached with peacock feathers to make it elaborate and imposing.
The eyes, nose and upper portion of the chin have been set in the symbol of heart, but the mouth has been encased as part of the head guard. The long ear rings flag the elongated neck fashioned in a simple neck guard. Below the neck is the chest guard that runs down through in-between the breasts. A pair of executioner's knives is positioned behind the chest guard and within the body suit. The bulging breast set at the lower portion of the composition accents the feminine nature of the executioner.
CONCEPT
Ekumfohen is literally the chief executioner of the paramount or town chief and has the responsibility to put persons and convicts to perpetual rest or death. Ekumfohen performs the duty for both punitive and ritual purposes. Ekumfohen has the qualities of firmness, bravery, sternness, precision and brevity. She is able to take the lives of persons and convicts on behalf of the state and the chief. Ekumfohen has the ability to sanitize and purge the state of immorality, of miscreants, misfits and truants who have the potentiality to create fear and panic. A calibre of elites are selected and provided with formal and non-formal education on the execution, precision, bravery, mastery, marshal skills and physical strength. In addition, body language, gestures and facial communications are offered these elites as part of their trade and curricula.
The firm physical body provides assurance, security and strength to attack and subdue all misfits and persons selected for ritual sacrifices. The stern facial look expressed in the art form displays bravery, strength, and the ability of the state to clean herself of all persons that are not to exist and see their evil intentions and wishful destinies come through. The covered mouth conceals the facial and vocal identity of the executioner. It also filters and prevents infection from blood and gases that might emanate from their victim's body. The chest plate has the responsibility to provide protection of the essential organs that exist within the chest cavity. These organs if not well protected could ruin the life and career of the Ekumfohen.
In the Akan domain, edinkra symbols are symbolic signages that are used to bid good bye to those persons part for the land of the dead or a mission. The inclusion of this signage as part of her adornment indicates her ability to see people off to the land of the dead.
The peacock feathered head guard displays the pride that comes with the practice of the professional-executioner. The executioner ensures the security of the paramount or town chief and the state. The knives popularly known as daga or sipow ensure the completion of the executioner's task of terminating the lives of their victims. As an assassin, her best job is carried out through the strength of the arms and the body. The firm, mature and athletic figure of Ekumfohen is an indication of the enormous energy that originates from her figure. It is therefore crucial that the role of Ekumfohen is seen as an important part of the chiefdom in the culture of the Akans.
CHAPTER 2
ASOMAFOHEN (CHIEF MESSENGER)
Asomafohen in Akan literally means the chief messenger. This art piece is a composition made from an irregular Mahogany board that has the upper and lower portions smaller and the middle section larger. Asomafohen is a female figure composed in a frontal view. She is dressed in a traditional warrior's apparel that consists of a head guard, neck guard, breast guard and body suit. She wears a pair of ear rings fashioned from Akomfona-state sword that runs from the ear loop to the shoulder level. She also adorns her body with a simple, but broad neck band. These ear rings flag the elongated neck and the neck band.
Asomafohen wears a head guard in the form of a head helmet. This covers the top part of the head. The helmet has strings and talisman attached as decoration and as representation of spiritual strength. These strings and talisman run from the top to down and across the bottom section of the helmet. The eyes, nose and mouth are rendered in a simplified realism as natural as possible. The lips of the mouth are fashioned into the archaic smile impression. Asomafohen has been adorned with a pair of breast guard that hang from the shoulders. These disc-types of breast guards and the body suit put emphasis on the feminist nature of Asomafohen.
CONCEPT
Asomafohen is literally the chief messenger attached to the paramount or town chief. As a sub-chief she has the responsibility of conveying messages to and from the office of the superior chief. In the Akan culture, superior chiefs do not undertake the conveyance of messages to subjects, vassals, and other town and paramount chiefs by themselves. The task of conveyance of messages is done by accredited lower chiefs or elites of the chiefdom who have been educated culturally and formally to perform such august task.
In the culture of Akan chiefdom, messengers are persons with great eloquence, good posture and wisdom of thoughts. They have the qualities of accommodativeness, submissiveness, and receptiveness. They also possess additional qualities of good retentive memory, clarity of thought and have the ability to deliver messages eloquently, expressively and expertly. A calibre of such elites is selected and offered formal and non-formal education on eloquence, mannerism, memory retention and recall skills, as well as body language such as gestures, facial and eye communication as part of their curricula.
Asomafohen has a clear face with an archaic smile that suggests the nobility of the chiefdom. The head guard (helmet type) offers the messenger some amount of simplified kinship. The strings and talisman attached to the head provide the figure the needed spiritual fortification and strength required to influence her trade since she may pursue her task through the thick and thin of both the physical and spiritual world. The neck guard protects the neck which is the channel and bridge of the vocal capacity. The neck that holds the head to the rest of the body has been rendered in a firm and cylindrical form. This offers the figure the necessary solidity and strength. Any harm to the head may truncate and discontinue the flow of the message as well as disconnect both ends of the communication. The breast guard create some perfect protection to the chest cavity. These guards protect the chest from any form of physical and spiritual attacks and from the seen and the unseen worlds. The breathe pattern and vocal strength culminate from the chest of the convener as a result of this, the chest requires some form of protection. These breast guards also protect the very physical breasts that feed and nourish hearers, listeners and benefactors of the chief's messages. These messages are to go a long way to inform, educate and admonish the benefactors.
The state sword worn by Asomafohen projects the symbol of authority from which she draws her power – that of the paramount or town chief. Therefore the presence of these replica swords as the ear rings is symbolic of the authority of the chief. Like the adage let the listening ears listen attentively. These swords represent the presence of the paramount or town chief at the instance of the messenger. Therefore a disregard and disrespect for the chief messenger is directed towards the superior chief. This will call for punishment or sanctions towards the offender. Display of the elongated neck as well as the slim body figure of the chief messenger fortifies the concepts of elegance and the smartness of her trade-messenger. It may therefore be established that the wise messages that are supposed to be conveyed by the chief messenger resides in her totality as a messenger of the state or kingdom.
In the Akan culture, the human head is seen to be the most important part of the human body; it is noted as the centre for wisdom and knowledge. This therefore calls for the head to be well fortified and protected as the most essential part by the head guard. If the head is not sound then the entire body is unsound. Hence, it is imperative that the Asomafohen plays a crucial role within the chiefdom culture of the Akans. The Akan adage says 'se esoma abofraapapa nna asoma wonan', literally meaning if you detail a person with endowment for an errand then you have completed that errand'. Sending the right calibre of person is more important than any ordinary person.
CHAPTER 3
NKYENHEN (CHIEF DRUMMER)
Nkyenhen or kyerema in Akan literally means chief drummer. This composition is made from an irregular Mahogany board that has the upper portions smaller, the middle and lower larger. It also has a semi-circular base. The wood board is made up of pale red, yellow and ochre colours. The source of the wood board can be traced to the small-scale saw-mill where it has been selected for future process as domestic furniture material.
Nkyenhen is composed of a lead drummer and other drummers. She is seen performing music and dancing with the sounds from the drums. The musical instrument hangs from her left shoulder. This set of drums is held firmly together by board leather strips that are attached to a single hook unto which they are anchored. The composition embraces the use of concentric, converging and diverging lines as a technique for rendering lines, shapes and forms. The principle of repetition, simplification and linear pattern constitute a major representation of the art work.
Nkyenhen is dressed in a ceremonial war apparel(Batakeri) and a head cap. She has her head turned towards the right direction. Behind the Nkyenhen are a stool carrier, a dancing chief in a palanquin, horn blowers, a set of umbrellas and several heads belonging to some elites of the chiefdom.
CONCEPT
Nkyenhen is literally the chief drummer attached to the paramount, town and village chief. She bears the responsibility of conveying messages and pieces of information from the chief to her subjects through the use of the drum. This happens especially during festive periods and special occasions. Ordinarily, her core responsibility is to announce to the subjects and the inhabitants what is intended to be the wise thoughts and appellations of the chief. In the Akan culture, depending on specific moods and circumstances, the chief drummer leads in the language delivery and presentation of the paramount, town and village chief. For the ability of the drummer to predict and announce the language culture of the chief, the chief drummer is often labelled a divine person.
These drummers are seen as persons with great hands-on-skills and foot-works. They have the flair for conveying messages, attributes, accolades and appellations in respect of the chiefs. They portray a great sense of humour with gestures and facial expressions during their line of duty. A set of such highly skilled and talented persons is selected from among the elites and at times the commoners and offered formal and non-formal education on sound, music, dance, gestures and humour culture.
The Nkyenehen seen in her Batakeri dress and head cap depicts her readiness to perform her duty against all odds. Her head, directed towards the right is an indication of her preparedness to provide the right service at the right time on behalf of the chiefdom; an attempt to deliver the message from the chief and possibly translate it to the community. She led the trail of the chief's convoy and attempted to announce the coming of the landowners and repositories of the landancestors and deities.
The three drums, three drum strips and three umbrellas in the composition signify the spiritual and the divine anointing bestowed on the chief drummer, hence her accolade divine-drummer. As an entertainer and convenor of the paramount, town or village chief her smartness, wisdom and technical prowess are important for the sustainability of the state or kingdom. It is therefore very incumbent that Nkyenhen is heavily relied upon in the culture of chiefdom of Akan people, as an announcer, advocate and entertainer. Her services are most sought after.
CHAPTER 4
AFONAHEN (CHIEF WARRIOR)
Afonahen in Akan which literally means chief warrior is a composition made from an irregular Odum wood board that has the lower portion broader than the upper portion. Afonahen may also be called Sekanhen or Osahen. Afonahen is a female figure composed in a three-quarters view holding Akomfona (sword or state sword) and in a swearing posture.
She is surrounded by other female sub-chiefs including the chief spokesperson projected in the bust, and positioned at the front bottom of the composition. Behind the figures are a set of umbrella that symbolises the culture of chiefdom of the Akan people. All figures represented in this composition are dressed in the traditional Akan apparel of wrapped cloths above the breasts level and are over the underclothes.
They also have cover cloths that hang from the left shoulders. In addition, they all wear the traditional Akan wig Tekuwa over their head as representation of the tradition Akan set up. The Afonahen, in this composition is dressed differently. She rather has her cover cloth tied around the waist in readiness for a presumed duty. She has a wreath hung around her neck as an ornament.
CONCEPT
Afonahen is the natural chief warrior and commander general of the military wings of the paramount or town chief. She has the overall responsibility to protect the state and her subject from reprisals, attacks, confrontations and takeovers from other states and authorities. Afonahen has attributes of bravery, sternness, courage and confidence. She is the custodian of the state swords and the defence commander-in-chief of the state.
