Ring
20th century
"I was born with the name Kwabena Amponsah, I was baptized Daniel Amponsah. On stage, I took the name 'Koo Nimo'-'Koo' is a male child born on Friday, 'Nimo' means 'someone who takes the blame for something he has not done.' I was born in the Asante region of Ghana, West Africa. My father was a trumpeter, a tailor, a shoemaker, a builder and a guitarist. My mother sang in the Methodist church. So I was born into a musical family. When I was eight, my sister married the late Otumpuo Opoku Ware's brother (Asantehene or King of the Asante). So I moved from my village to live around the palace. I lived there as a schoolboy and attended Presbyterian school where I was taught the normal things, including music. On Sundays, I was called upon to play the harmonium to entertain. I later attended Cape Coast College-I studied for four years for the Cambridge School certificate in English Language, English Literature, Religion, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Latin, Geography and History. It was modeled on the British system, where we were encouraged to read the classics.
"By living in the palace, I became exposed to the activities in the court. For example, the day before the festive days, there would be performances heralding the great days. In the evening we would hear ceremonial horns, then master drummers would play attributes and appellations for all the kings. During the days the festival would be on, you would hear the minstrels singing, horn blowers playing, the kete orchestra, fontonfron, gourd music and procession music. You would see the Asantehene performing all kinds of functions-he has to visit the stool house to pour libations and commune with the ancestors, then he serves people a drink, and presides over court receptions. When the Queen Mother had to leave her house to go to the main palace, it was often my role to carry her umbrella and follow her, something I loved to do. I learned how the court settled cases, where traditional jurisprudence was practiced, and I learned court language, where symbolism is very important.
"I found that European visitors had all these things collected in their museum, to show them as exhibits. But the point that interests me is this: these artifacts of culture shouldn't be allowed to sit in the museum as lifeless things. We should read meaning into them so that people will know that in pre-literate societies, sentiments are expressed in proverbs-on walls, in wood, rocks and in goldweights. Kings had all these weights in gold.
"I use the term 'libraries on fire' for the old men and women of the palace and elders who taught me. We have a responsibility to listen to them; they want to talk with us, to have a dialogue with them. If a library is on fire, you must work fast to put the fire out. At the same time, you must not work too fast and drown them. I have plans to start a program called 'libraries on fire', interviewing old men and women and recording them to pass on the oral literature-our philosophy, our symbolism, dance gestures, our folklore, our stories-to the younger generation. You see, youth is glorious, but it is not a career (it doesn't last forever). Youth must be exposed to this history and culture, they must talk to these old men and women. I've already acquired the land, a small village. I envision it like Plato's or Socrates' academy, where the old men will be talking, and we'll be recording; asking questions and learning our culture. We'll learn about other cultures, because we don't exist in a vacuum, it's a global village. When visitors from Europe and America come, they'll be welcome. I haven't got a car in my garage, I've got drums in my garage! We'll teach drumming and dancing, harp, lute, and many other musical traditions." (Daniel "Koo Nimo" Amponsah, 2001)
Gold
1 3/16 x 1 5/8 x 1 1/2 in. (3 x 4.1 x 3.8 cm)
Diam.: 2.5 cm
Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
81.17.1684
Provenance: [Charles Ratton, Paris, France]; sold to Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1972; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981
Photo: Paul Macapia
