Ashanti Standing Male Figure with Bananas & Machete

Bananas in one hand, a machete in the other. A man who knows what lunch involves.

This standing male figure with bananas and machete is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. Ashanti casters are well known for lost-wax brass and bronze work, including small figures of everyday life. A lean figure with long limbs and a lined face stands on a ring base. He holds a broad blade at his side and lowers a heavy bunch of bananas, the fruit curling up from the stalk. The surface is dark and worn. It is 1.75 inches wide, 3 deep and 5.5 high.

Harvest, rendered with real appreciation for the weight of the bunch.