Engaging Modernity: Asante in the Twenty-First Century

Afotosanfoɔ

Afotosanfoɔ and Sanaa (Treasury)

Nana Kwadwo Nyantakyi III

Asantehene Sanaahene

The Afotosanfoɔ and the duties associated with them are from Ɔpemsoɔ Osei Tutu’s time. They were essentially responsible for his treasury and provided funds for the royal household and all other responsibilities I will describe in connection with the Sanaa or the Sanaahene. The Afotosanfoɔ are custodians of the following regalia items: safoabre (black keys), sika nsafoa (gold keys), dwetɛ nsafoa (silver keys), fotoɔ (a pair of treasury bags), nkotokuwaa (a pair of leather bags), famfa (scoop), and dwanta (big vessel). Instead of the knuckles, it is the safoabre that are used in knocking on doors at Manhyia Palace. They usually knock on a door three times with safoabre. Alternatively those involved in going to special rooms might say in Twi: siakwan (blocked way) to signal that the Asantehene would like to enter a particular room. Using one’s knuckles to knock on doors are clues that the individual is a visitor or an intruder who is not aware of the rules at Manhyia Palace. Asantehene Opoku Ware later added sika safoa and dwetɛ safoa to the existing safoabre. After processions and when the Asantehene finally sits in state, the Afotosanfoɔ will hang the sika safoa around Saamanhene’s neck, dwetɛ safoa around the neck of Buabasa; after they have taken customary money from them. Although Sanaahene is the custodian of the keys, it is Saamanhene and Buabasa who are essentially responsible for guarding Manhyia Palace and that is why they are given the keys while the Asantehene is sitting in state, the keys symbolically indicate that all doors in the palace are locked. In the absence of Buabasa, the dwetɛ safoa is placed around Manwerehene’s neck. In the rare cases when both Saamanhene and Buabasa are not around, the sika nsafoa will be placed around the neck of Manwerehene while the dwetɛ nsafoa will be placed around the Sanaahene’s neck. In the absence of Saamanhene, Buabasa, and Manwerehene, the sika nsafoa will be given to Sanaahene while the dwetɛ nsafoa will go to Deɛboɔsohene. Saamanhene is responsible for Nkonwafieso while Buabasa is in charge of the entire palace. Fotoɔ is a rectangular leather bag with a flap covering it. Always carried in pairs and as treasury bags, fotoɔ contains gold dust (in addition to sedeɛ-cowrie shells in the past) and gadgets used in measuring gold. Nkotokuwaa (two leather bags) with embroidry designs and abɔsedeɛ, tassels and a handle made with leopard skin are big enough to contain the fotoɔ bags in order to disguise it from onlookers during processions. There are two types of famfa. A smaller and a relatively larger type are made of kɔɔbrɛ (copper) and it the accessory used as shovel for scooping up gold dust. The latter type is part of the sanaa (vault). Gold dust may be placed in the famfa as part of the adisiedeɛ (burial items). Before a corpse is buried, the Asantehene’s adesiedeɛ made up of a cloth or cloths are arranged on the dwanta and it is presented to the bereaved family together with the gold dust in the famfa.

Additional duties of the Afotosanfoɔ are putting on the Asantehene’s personal adornments of gold jewellery including, pɛtia (finger rings), ayanneɛ (necklaces), bafurum-sɛbɛ (elbow wear), nantuo or nananim suman (knee wear), and amberempɔnnaaseɛ (ankle wear). All the Asantehene’s personal adornments are kept in a single room with the Sanaahene responsible for accounting for all the items in that room.

From left to right: Opanin Yaw Poku, Kwame Osei Nyantakyi, Opanin Kwame Kra, Nana Kwadwo Nyantakyi III (Asantehene Sanaahene), Owusu Bempah, Akwasi Agyemang, Yaw Adusei

Sika Nsafoa (Gold Keys)

Dwetɛ Nsafoa (Silver Keys)

Safoabre (Black Keys)

Owusu Bempah showing how the gold and silver keys are worn around the neck of respective chiefs during ceremonies.

Dwanta (large vessel)

Famfa (scoop)

Nkotokuwaa (leather bag)