VINTAGE WEST AFRICAN ASHANTI UPPER VOLTA BRASS TRIBAL MUSICIAN FIGURES

Description: This remarkable little brass band waa a gift to me when I was “Director of Management” at the Peace Corps in the late 1970’s. One of our volunteers brought these back. This “set” is a complete “band”, but little figures like these, even geometric symbols, are a tradition among the Akan people of West Africa. Although entirely different in design, each piece has a known weight and the weights were used in trade arrangements with one another. Stylistic studies of these “goldweights” divides relative dates into two broad periods. The Early period is thought to have been from about 1400–1720 AD, with some overlap with the Late period, 1700-1900 AD. There is a distinct difference between the Early and Late periods. Geometric weights are the oldest forms, dating from 1400 AD onwards while figurative weights, those made in the image of people, animals, building etc., first appear around 1600 AD. President John Kennedy conceived of the Peace Corps, as a permanent federal agency within the State Department, Sept 22, 1961. President Jimmy Carter orchestrated the Peace Corps as an independent agency within Action, and I was hired in the late 1970’s as the Director of Management . When President Regan was elected I was asked to collect letters of resignation from all the senior staff in the Washington Office (including my own). All the letters were accepted, except mine, I hung on two weeks at a time for nearly a year until one day I was told “they needed the office and I should pack my things and leave by Friday”.. >>> Not to worry, Peace Corps employment was always temporary and departing employees had “reversion rights” to the same pay rate (Iif not the same status) at the agencies from which they had come. I “retreated” to the Civil Service Commission with my pay intact, but my duties reduced to “clerk typist” in the regional office. This story is not about me. It simply explains where the Ashanti figures came from. My career recovered:I retired three years ago after 50 years of Federal Service! I am now 80; my husband is 87; we are downsizing hoping to place our treasures in appreciative homes, I have tried to find “Jim Rassellini” to return these figures to him, I’d hate to see them lost in some second shop. If you know Jim or how too reach him, please let him know that his gift to me is available. If this little band appeals to you, make an offer.

Price: 395 USD

Location: Potomac, Maryland

End Time: 2024-11-04T18:31:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD