Ashanti is a tribe located in southern Ghana, West Africa. When it comes to this tribe, the first thing that comes to mind is gold. If you’ve been fascinated by the image of an Indian bride wearing gold at a wedding ceremony, the scene of Ashanti people at festivals is even more impressive. The Ashanti people are rich because they have advantages in resources. Besides, their good qualities also cause their wealth to increase rapidly.
In the past, Ashanti was once the most powerful kingdom in West Africa. A huge source of natural gold brought wealth and strength to this empire. According to many documents, the ancient Ashanti people used gold dust as currency. Other types of gold objects are seen as symbols of power and position in society.
Ashanti goldsmiths have reached a very high level of gold-crafting. Around the 19th century, the Portuguese came here to describe “Ashanti people wearing necklaces and gold jewelry of all kinds from legs, hands to the neck”. Many Europeans also talk about the sophistication of the gold jewelry here “.
According to Ethnic Jewels Magazine, high-status Ashanti people use a lot of gold to make jewelry. The popular items can be mentioned as bracelets, anklets, rings, necklaces, hats, pipes, weapons, ceremonies, or even sandals
It has been reported that the Ashanti people wore a pound of gold on their bodies. However, this is not correct. Gold jewelry is mainly used for festive occasions. If you come to Ashanti on these occasions, you will see the king appear in front of the people wearing gold-covered costumes from head to toe.
Although not too showy of gold in everyday life, the Ashanti is still one of the richest tribes in Ghana. According to Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online travel agency, gold resources are only part of the reason. Other reasons can be mentioned as hard work, the spirit of taking risks, and community support.