Online International Journal of Arts and Humanities

ISSN 2277-0852; Volume 4 Issue 4, Pages 55-61; September 2015

©2015 Online Research Journals

Available Online at https://onlineresearchjournals.org/IJAH

Full Length Research Article

 

Life, Death and Eternity: The Role of Pottery in Some Cultural Practices among the Akans of Ghana   1Adjei K., 2Asante A.E.* and 3Adu-Gyamfi V.E.   1Department of Industrial Art, CABE, KNUST. 2Department of General Art Studies, CABE, KNUST. 3Department of Integrated Rural Art and Industry, CABE, KNUST.   *Corresponding Author's E-mail: ericappau(at)yahoo.com.   Received 28 May, 2015 Accepted 26 July, 2015

The celebration of the life of the traditional Akans of Ghana was associated with various rites and rituals at various stages from birth through to death and after death. Akans are a matrilineal group of people who live in the middle belts of Ghana and La Côte d’Ivoire. They have a rich culture which includes the celebration of the various passages of life: birth, puberty, marriage, death, and ancestorship. This study sought to examine the celebration of the rites of passage among the Akans of Ghana and to document the role pottery played in some of the rituals associated with life, death and ancestral veneration. The study revealed that indigenous Akans of Ghana produced special pottery wares such as Abusuakruwa (family cup), Kruwa (cup) and terracotta heads for rituals associated with death and burial rites respectively. The study confirmed that pottery was an important aspect of the life of the indigenous Akan people which provided them with both utilitarian and spiritual answers to their everyday life.   Key words: Rituals, initiation, traditional pottery, rites of passage, traditional Akans.

Recommended Citation

Adjei K, Asante AE and Adu-Gyamfi VE. Life, Death and Eternity: The Role of Pottery in Some Cultural Practices among the Akans of Ghana. Online Int J Arts Human, 2015; 4(4): 55-61.