Fante Asafo Flag #91 'We Control The Bird' by maker Kwesi Nana Budu of workshop Saltpond, Central Region Ghana, depicts the slogan, “We control the clock-bird." A bird tethered to a company member is an expression of control & movement. Black ground, with British flag canton, and border of orange strip with black and white chevron pattern and white fringe. Size: 37 in h x 60 in d. Condition is fair, with heavy wear throughout, holes, stains and discoloration, worn fringe, and repair in center, all consistent with age and use. Provenance: Private Collection, New York.

Asafo flags are a striking folk art mix of traditional West African motifs with European heraldry. The Fante people along the coast of present-day Ghana have long maintained an elaborate system of "Asafo" or military companies, whose ceremonial practices involved the creation of unique cloth flags. The double-sided flags, usually made of cotton or silk with embroidered or applique details, often depicted Akan proverbs or imagery representing boasts or taunts, often humorous or surreal, in bold colors and striking, asymmetrical compositions, combined with decorative borders and cantons showing the flags and insignia of the British, who had a complicated history of both alliance and competition with the Fante Confederacy.

This is one of a large and varied collection of Fante Afaso flags in this auction. The flags were used to identify villages and convey messages, often for protection from rival villages and the Ashante people from the west, and later were used in festivals and ceremonies. These changing traditions reflect moments of transcultural exchange that were part of larger historical shifts, from trade with the Portuguese in the 15th Century, to British colonial rule in the 19th Century, to Independence in 1957. This flag is estimated to date from the 1940s–1950s. Please call or email for a detailed condition report.

We are grateful to Barbara Eyeson for identifying the specific artists and meanings behind these flags.

See description and photos for condition. Please email or call for a more detailed condition report. We grade on a scale from excellent, very good, good, fair, to poor; that said, all lots are sold in as is condition at time of sale, and condition listings are given as a courtesy for guidance only and should be evaluated by personal inspection by the bidder.