The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana

Watch an exciting African drumming and dance performance with Bandan Koro African Drum and Dance Ensemble. 

Join us for Member Preview Days, April 12–14. ​Inspired by works in the Museum's collection, The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana features items of gold regalia, colorful and intricately woven textiles, and other objects related to Asante royals between the 19th and 21st centuries.

Dr. Roslyn A. Walker, Senior Curator of the Arts of Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific and The  Margaret McDermott Curator of African Art, will discuss her new exhibition The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana. 

Join Dr. Raymond Silverman, Professor of Art History at the University of Michigan, for a talk examining the artistry behind Ghana’s gold industry and the global trade network it created. 

Paa Joe and the Lion, a 2016 documentary directed by Ben Wigley, follows Ghanaian fantasy coffin artist Paa Joe as he teaches his son Jacob the craft that he has perfected over decades and to great acclaim. The film offers an intimate look into an artform that is central to Ghanaian beliefs and traditions surrounding death, while examining ideas of craftsmanship, legacy, and the relationship between art and life. 

Join Underwater Field Archaeologist Chris Macort for an exciting glimpse into the recovery of the  Whydah Gally, a pirate ship that sank off the coast of Cape Cod in 1717 while carrying several tons of gold, silver, and other treasures. Macort will discuss the Whydah's history, unique finds from the wreckage, and what the ship tells us about the lives of buccaneers during the Golden Age of Piracy. Along the way, find out what goes into locating a shipwreck and conserving recovered artifacts.