brass pot, unrecorded Mamluk artist

Trade connected the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt to the Akan confederation in Ghana, as well as many locations in-between. Along with Islamic beliefs, traders exchanged materials such as brass and silk for gold dust, textiles, and other goods. Asante kings, believing in the sacred power of Islamic prayer and Qur’anic script, collected items such as Mamluk ablutions vessels—containers holding water for ritual cleansing before prayer—for use in Asante traditional religion. Akan artists drew inspiration from the inscriptions and motifs of Islamic trade goods, as well as Akan proverbs, to create the small geometric and figural weights used to measure gold dust. The weights served an important commercial function and were also highly valued for their imported brass material and demonstration of artistry. Similarly linked to trade, men’s embroidery, exemplified on caps worn by Muslim men throughout West Africa, indicates piety and prestige.