Ashanti Forowa or Gold Dust Container

Gold dust, shea butter, and a lid that fits. The Akan valued all three.

The forowa was hammered from sheet brass and used to keep valued substances. This Ashanti example from Ghana, 20th century, has a domed lid crowned with a rounded knob and stepped rings, fitting over a cylindrical body with a projecting ledge and a narrower lower section. Fine bands of punched and stippled lines circle the body, and the lid carries faint repoussé motifs. The brass has aged to a warm golden brown with patches of green verdigris and a dented, well-used rim.

Five inches. Compact. Keep something small and important in it.