sword~sword-sheath~ornament

(a) State sword (afena, Mpomponsuo) with curved cast iron blade pierced along the outer cutting edge with circle and triangle motifs and decorated along front face with punched designs. The wooden hilt is bar-bell shaped with distinctive rounded pommels at either end of the grip whic hare covered with leopard skin. The central cylindrical grip is covered with gold sheet secured with small staples made of gold wire (?). The end of the second pommel previously had a conical gold boss which is now missing but the gold disc to which it fitted remains. (b) Sheath (boha) is made of leopard skin folded over along one side and secured with six hide ties where the edges meet. The inside of sheath is lined with leopard skin. A rectangular piece of leopard skin is attached to the top of the sheath and bears six rectangular amulets (safis); three covered with gold leaf and three with silver leaf, all with repoussé decoration. There are also two triangular amulets (safi); one of which has lost part of its gold covering revealing the leather covering beneath. (c) The lost wax cast hollow gold sword ornament (abosodee) depicts a coiled snake, (probably a python) gripping an antelope (possibly a dyker (otwe) in its jaws. The inside of the ornament is filled with scraps of red woollen cloth of European manufacture, perhaps imported Witney blanket.