Antiques, jewelry and precious metals
Antiques. It is not impossible that during your wanderings through the markets of the country you will come across very old sculptures, paintings, objects or accessories. However, if they are genuine antiques, you should know that they are subject to an export tax (which is very high). In order to avoid any disappointment when leaving the country, remember to ask for a receipt from the seller and possibly a certificate from the National Museum attesting that the object is not an antique.
Jewelry. If Ghana has long been called the Gold Coast, it is not without reason! The tradition of goldsmithing and the manufacture of gold (but also silver) jewelry is indeed very old. Today, 14, 18 and 22 carat gold jewelry is still easily available in the jewelry stores of Accra and the main Ghanaian cities. While precious jewelry with very specific cultural symbols flourish here and there, giving a unique character to these creations, it is not uncommon to see creations that combine traditional Ghanaian motifs - notably the so-called "adinkra" motifs - with more contemporary motifs that are often popular in Europe and the United States. The result is often very original. If you arrive in Ghana with a specific idea for a piece of jewelry, you should know that some gold artisans will make custom pieces from simple photos.
Beads. Beads are also precious objects with a strong symbolic value that have been found since time immemorial in the culture of the peoples of Ghana. Handed down from generation to generation within families, they are worn for specific occasions, giving precise indications of the person wearing them: social status (chief, sorcerer, etc.) and stages of life (maternity, old age). The history of beads in Ghana is ancient. Over the centuries, they were traded for all sorts of goods, including slaves, ivory, gold and palm oil. If you want to find some beads (bracelets, necklaces, etc.), go to the Beads Market in Koforidua (2.5 hours drive north of Accra): you can find Ghanaian beads but also beads from other African countries, and even from Europe. Note here that Ghanaian beads are made from recycled glass, bauxite, shells and copper. Copper is a material that is often found in Ghanaian crafts. Many decorative objects are made using the "lost wax" technique, which is a very precise molding process. Copper was first used in the region by the Ashanti in the form of weights for weighing gold, on which it was customary to depict an Adinkra proverb or symbol by drawing.
Traditional souvenirs: fabrics and basketry
Kente is a patterned textile that has become absolutely inseparable from Ghana. Only skilled hands with long experience in weaving are able to make these colorful geometrically patterned silk and cotton garments, which explains their high price. Historically, the kente was worn as a toga by representatives of royal families (Ashanti and Ewe in particular). A key souvenir to bring back from Ghana, each kente has its own colors (often shimmering and associated with gaiety) and its own shapes, each with its own meaning. It is a traditional gift that diplomatic services like to offer to foreign personalities visiting Ghana. You can find sumptuous models hanging in most of the country's public buildings, and a large piece of kente is displayed in the lobby of the United Nations building in New York, which is a source of pride for Ghanaians! You can easily find kente shops in Accra and other major cities in Ghana that can tailor clothing in the kente of your choice. Made of a plain cotton fabric (white or light) covered with a variety of symbolic patterns in black or dark brown, theadinkra is to funerals what the kente is to festivals. The symbols on these fabrics each have a name and are often aesthetically very rich. Less traditional but no less famous is the Ghanaian soccer team jersey, the pride of the entire continent, and a timeless gift
In another register of weaving, it is impossible not to mention, in a list of souvenirs to bring back from Ghana, the famous baskets of Bolgatanga (named after a town in the north of the country, on the border with Burkina Faso). As famous internationally as kente cloth, Bolgatanga baskets or Bolga baskets are now one of the most popular Ghanaian handicrafts in the world. Both practical and highly aesthetic, these colorful baskets with simple designs are on sale in every market in the country (and are cheaper here than on the countless websites that offer them for sale). Hand-woven from straw dipped in boiling water and natural dye, a Bolgatanga basket requires a week of work. Once the weaving is finished, a pair of leather handles is added.
Pottery and ceramics
As old as time, the art of traditional pottery has been practiced throughout Ghana - usually by women - for centuries, even thousands of years! Archaeological excavations have established that clay objects have been made for 3,000 years in the region. Transporting water and other liquids, preserving food and cooking, without the mastery of ceramic art, these different aspects of daily life would have been much more difficult to manage. In fact, archaeological samples can be seen in the Accra Museum: cups, oil lamps, vases and various containers are the most interesting specimens
Even today, Ghanaian pottery creations are still adorned with designs that have a very specific meaning for the community that makes them. Naturally, the styles and symbols change depending on the region of manufacture, but the method of manufacture remains the same, and the pieces created share the same simplicity in form. One region perhaps stands out from the others when it comes to Ghanaian ceramics: the Volta region, and more precisely the ceramics made by the women of Kpandu. Their specificity? Their singular way - unique in West Africa - of representing animals! Among the objects that you can bring back as souvenirs from Akan country, let's mention bowls, plates, dishes, cups, glasses, but also thin-necked carafes and funeral urns...
Sculptures
Wood carving. Among the most widespread wood carvings that you will find in Ghana, let us quote, in the category statuettes, the famous wooden dolls whose main function is to make fertile the one who owns one. Concerning the statuettes in general, the female characters are systematically represented with an oval head and a certain overweight while the men often have a rather rectangular face. Also, it is not uncommon for scarification marks - whose location and shape indicate the ethnic origin of the person represented - to be added to the faces of the statuettes. Other significant details complete the sculptors' proposal. For example, the openings in the nose, mouth or ears of the female figures evoke their social inferiority in the sense that they are not allowed to hear what the men are discussing, nor to answer them. Another typical Ghanaian woodcarving is the palanquins on which the village chiefs are transported. These imposing anthropotracted "vehicles" are generally equipped with a basketry seat and/or chiseled copper plate decoration.
Carved wooden stools are also prominent in Ghana. A stool represents nothing less than the power of the chief who sits on it. The artists involved in this type of prestigious confection usually express their creativity and talent by carving the part between the base and the seat. Here again, the carved patterns have great symbolic value.
Sculpture on metal. The vast majority of metal sculptures can be found in museums: weights used to weigh gold, but also kuduo (vessels used by the Akan to offer to the gods), as well as a few other pieces intended for ritual or domestic use. Outside of museums, you can easily find on the market daggers and other daggers with chiseled blades accompanied by their metal, wooden and sometimes leather sheaths. Let's mention here some famous sculptors (all materials) like Ebow (real name Claude Felder, Swiss-Ghanaian trained at the Lausanne Athenaeum school of architecture), Saka-Acquaye or his student Kofi Setordji. The former mixes Western influences with African roots (the Ashanti Doll sculpture is a fine summary of his work), while the latter carves large pieces, such as the bas-reliefs that can be seen at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra and at the mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah.
