A portable iron Fon altar called asen. A place where the spirits of a dead person can take up residence.Tangible reminders of the interdependence of the living and the dead. Asen represent the desire to honour the ancestors and dignitaries of the place and consist of a pole on which is a round platform supported by round struts. On top of this object are three men who, as in a biblical scene, hand gifts to a higher-ranking personage. At least the hand positions suggest this. Only one of the three has something in his hands. The group is surrounded by plants, a dog, a cross and other symbols that characterise the scene and the meaning of the person to be remembered.

Lit.: Karl - Ferdinand Schaedler: "Erde und Erz, 2500 Jahre Afrikanische Kunst aus Terrakotta und Metall", Panterra Verlag, Edition Minerva, p. 193-194.

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Height: 92 cm
Weight: 4,1 kg