Ashanti Footed Chest with Geometric & Animal Motifs

Somewhere in an Ashanti household, a lid lifted and cloth came out.

Chests like this one kept cloth, valuables and other personal belongings. This wooden example, made in Ghana in the early 20th century, stands on a molded plinth with four turned bun feet. The lid has a rounded molded edge. The front is incised with columns of wavy and dotted lines, zigzag borders above and below, and at the center a stylized fish.

Fifteen inches square, its reddish-brown patina deep and warm. Put something in it. That is what it is for.