Ashanti Boat with 8 Occupants

Eight figures, one boat, and only one of them seems to be paddling.

This boat with 8 occupants is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th C. It is bronze. Ashanti casters are well known for their lost wax brass and bronze work, from goldweights to larger figurative pieces depicting scenes of daily life. The deep hull is patterned with a fine crosshatched texture and ends in scrolled, upturned prows. Slender seated figures with rounded heads sit in two rows, arms bent and hands raised, while one at the rear holds a broad paddle over the side. It is 11 inches wide, 5.75 deep and 4.25 high.

Everyone has a seat. Not everyone has a job.