AGBOLI-AGBO DEDJLANI
King of Abomey
Benin
Dedjlani, a former policeman, waited six years to retire, and then proceeded with his secret coronation ceremonies.
“Officially”, there is no longer a king in Benin. But on september 30, 1989, Dedjlani put on his royal shoes, and at the age of fifty four became King of Abomey.
Being monogamous, he was obliged to marry two more wives to take care of his royal household. When he goes out, tradition requires that he be sheltered under an umbrella with his emblem. One of wives must always be next to him, carrying the royal spitting bowl. The King also has to wear his scepter in permanence. Holding it in his hand or hanging on his shoulder, more than a symbol, the scepter is the King.
Formerly, one paid the same respect to the scepter as to the King, and wherever the scepter was to be found so was the King. The scepter authentified his orders. When a stranger wanted to meet the King, he had to wait at the port of Ouidah, “until the road was open” by the scepter which served as a laissez-passer.
The silver dust protector worn on the nose, dates from the nineteenth century, and was inherited from the King Gbehanzin. It protected the King’s nose from the dust, during the royal processions in Abomey.
New Orleans // Funeral // Film
Aitor Throup
Rarely will we openly endorse a non KDU designer on any KDU related site. This is one of those rare occasions. We are in awe of the diverse creativity of Aitor Throup. After viewing the work examples above we dream about the future for 6 straight hours. Fashion and Design needs more fantasy. Special thanks to PK of Poets and Thieves for the tip.
Asante double-heddle narrow strip loom weavers in the royal weavers village of Bonwire near the Asante capital of Kumasi. June 1997.
photo (c) Duncan Clarke
Weaving, at its simplest, involves the regular interlacing of two sets of threads to create a textile. A loom is basically any kind of frame that facilitates this interlacing process. One set of threads (known as the warp) is fixed to the frame, while the second set (the weft) is manipulated in between one or more warps in an under/over fashion. Almost all looms have some means of separating alternate warps to speed up this interlacing process. Generally this involves string loops placed round every other warp, allowing the two groups to be pulled apart, creating a gap (called the shed) through which the weft is passed. This set of string loops is called a heddle. Looms where only one set of alternate warps are leashed to a heddle are called single-heddle looms. Looms where both sets are leashed to separate heddles are called double-heddle looms. In an influential book John Picton and John Mack have argued that the clearest method of classifying the many different types of loom found in Africa is to focus on this fundamental distinction in the weaving process itself, rather than looking at essentially peripheral features such as the position of the frame, the width of the cloth woven, or the gender of the weaver.
A tripod loom in use, Mende or Vai people, Sierra Leone.
photo (c) Duncan Clarke
A woman in the Yoruba city of Owo, weaving on her upright single-heddle loom, in front an apprentice practices on a smaller cloth.
photo (c) Duncan Clarke
One of many single-heddle loom variations formerly used in Central African raffia weaving. Congo-Brazzaville.
photo (c) Duncan Clarke
Ground loom: the loom shown in this picture from Bangante, Cameroon is actually much smaller than most but it is a convenient depiction of the principles involved. Taken from African Majesty by FC Egerton (1938)
OSEADEEYO ADDO DANKWA III
King of Akropong-Akuapem
Ghana
A graduate from the University of London and an economic advisor for the Ghanaian administration, The King of Akropong holds for the last sixteen years the “sacred seat” of the Akuapem-Asona, one of the seven major Akan clans.
To his right, his “spokesman” carries the royal emblem, the elephant, a remembrance that his kingdom was founded by force.
In 1733, Akwamu launched his army against the city-State of Akropong, which had been spared from the Ashanti conquests. To defend itself, the city called upon soldiers who liked war, the Akim, and who are also the hereditary enemies of the Ashanti. Akropong was saved, and as a reward, the chief of the Akim was enthroned as the King of Akropong.
At the feet of the king sits a young child, his “okra”, meaning his soul. Protected by fetishs, the Okra plays the role of a human shield, who has to defend the King from evil spirits, sickness and death. The King is the Nation. He should never be wounded or sick, or the entire nation will weaken. The Okra diverts all evil forces upon himself. He, therefore, must die with his master.
During battles, the Okra would ring the small bells suspended on his neck, to show the king’s presence and to stimulate the warriors’ bravery. If the king was frightned and did not want to attract the enemy’s attention he would stiffle the ringing bells; his soldiers interpreted this as desertion and would abandon the battle.
