83.

LIBRARY AND  MUSEUM REPORTS

THE REMNANTS  OF ASHANT1 TAFO'S  GLORIES

FFTPotTIkY

The once  very  famous pottery  of Ashanti  Tafo  has  unfortunately

declined.  Indeed, Jt  has  literarily  almost  disappeared  altogether.

We are  told  that  Akosua  Baa,  the daughter  of  Queen-mother

Ama  Serwa  Sarabi,  was  taken  away  to  the  British  Empire  Exhibition  to
demonstrate  her dexterity  at  pottery 
of  course,  was a  very  outstanding  pot making  group.

.  The Queen-mother's  family,

There has always  been a  set  of  dishes  mads  in  the  Queen-mother's

house,  which  royal  lineages  borrowed  (as a sort  of  "dinner  set")  for  thsJr
great  feasts  (Aduane  kesee).  They are  no  longer  used for  this  purpose
and have  been  carefully  stacked away  on  the  ceiling  of a kifchsn  when
we asked for  them.  The  first  set of  pots  in  line  drawings,  are  the  rem-
nants of  the  "dinner  set"  type  of  pots.  The second set marked  II  are
other  very  specialised  pots which  were made  in  the  past but  now made
only  on  order and by not  more  than  five  people  in  Tafo.

NOTE

We  have  been able  to acquire  these  pots and would  like  to
place  on  record  the  v/ord put  in  for  us by  Mr.  A .C  Dertteh and his
wife  Princess Afua  Denteh of  Tafo.  (The pots are  in  the  Ethnographic
Mu*eumof the  Institute  of African  Studies,  Legon).

1.  Rattray,  R.S.:  Religion  and Art  in Ashanti,  1927  p.306.