Container (kuduo) / Artist Unknown, African, Ghana, Akan

About this Item

Accession Number: 2003/2.33
Title: Container (kuduo)
Artist: Artist Unknown, African, Ghana, Akan
Artist Nationality: Ghanaian
Medium and Support: brass
Object Creation Place: Africa (continent); Ghana (nation)
Creation Place 1: Africa (continent)
Creation Place 2: Ghana (nation)
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Daniel and Sandra Mato
Dimensions: 7 cm x 14 cm x 14 cm (2 3/4 in. x 5 1/2 in. x 5 1/2 in.)
Primary Object Classification: Metalwork
Primary Object Type: bowl
Physical Description: Brass container cast in a rounded bowl form, similar to Akan ceramic vessels. A small circle near the container's lip would have served as an attachment point for a hinged lid. The container is cast with designs on the body.
Subject Matter: The kuduo are used to store wealth or other presitgious items. They latch shut, signifiying the importance of their contents. However, their function is more for display than actual safekeeping. Kuduo are closely associated with the individual who used it. They are physical repositories for their owner's lifeforce; lifeforce is linked to wealth, as vital people in Akan though are inherently predisposed to being successful.
Primary Keywords: containers
Secondary Keywords: objects we use
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Collection: University of Michigan Museum of Art
Record: 2003/2.33
Link to this Item: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2003-sl-2.33/2003_2_33.jpg

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Full citation: "Container (kuduo); Artist Unknown, African, Ghana, Akan." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2003-sl-2.33/2003_2_33.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 12, 2024.