CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study. Art, especially the visual art can be said to be the only way of bringing out the philosophies and concepts of given society into physical form. Usually, it is these philosophies and concepts that become the norms and ethics which keep the society together. It can also help to educate people about the mindset of those who made it and the use it was intended for. Similarly, it can be used to teach others in the society to make art forms not just for its aesthetics but also as a way of preserving the culture of the people. Thus it could be realised that knowing the socio-cultural, educational as well as the philosophical importance of a particular work of art helps to tell others about the work, how it was made and what it is intended for. This helps in preserving the culture of a particular society for subsequent generations. It also helps the individuals in the society to have a common cultural identity. The quest by individual societies for a cultural identity is not just to prove to the world that, they are the most important but rather to have a stage of development that would make them fit into the dynamism of the ever growing world. Perhaps it is in line with the ever popular saying that “one needs to know where he is coming from to enable him know his ultimate destination”. This saying can also be linked to the Igbo proverb that “Onye na eweghi ihe arimama di ka onye nwuru anwu”, literally meaning “a person or people with no identity are as well as dead”. Thus, being aware of one’s culture is important but knowing the essence of that identity in terms of the concepts and 1 philosophies is equally very important as the popular Akan adage has it that: “Ωο ωερζ φιρι ωο κυροµηενε αβζν α, ωο ψερα δωαβο ασε” literary translated as “the one who gets missing at the gathering is he who forgets chief’s horn”. In a world of increasing cultural assimulation, there can be the facing out of an entire culture. Okere (1996:10) is of the view that: ...the African today is a living confluence of cultural rivers, the major rivers being, on the one hand, the traditional culture with its tributaries of religion, social structure, language, values and world view, and, on the other hand, the Christian -Western culture (and other alien cultures including Islam ) with its own tributaries. There is therefore the need to protect the cultures of the various societies by transmitting them onto subsequent generations since there are adequate indications to prove that “the present and the future live in the past”. The best way to harness the present and the future is to revisit the past. In modern times, the African cannot continue to live in the past neither can he live in the present or the future away from the past. Danielsson (1980:16) sums up the need for a systematic cultural transition with the view that: Culture… is never a set of fixed and uniform behaviour, and any attempt on a large scale to turn back the clock is bound to end in dismal failure. The eternal question that the (African) will have to face also in the future therefore, is what to retain of the traditional culture and what to adopt in the form of new ideas and things. The African, living in a contemporary world can still retain the salient part of his indigenous culture because the nature and effects of his cultural context are omnipresent but differ depending on time, space, events and people involved (Thaman, 1999). 2 In Ghana, a range of artforms have over the ages been used to serve a similar purpose. One such artforms is the indigenous stool which is the subject of this research. It is known among the Akan as “sesedwa” or “sesegua”. It is basically a wooden seat however, its essence and symbolism permeates every fabric of the society. The origin of the stool cannot be easily traced however it is believed to have begun as a simple formless seat with a handle (fig 1.1) called “dufua” Arthur (2001). Fig.1.1. An artist impression of an early stool (Dufua). The importance of stools in the total lives of the people in most part of the indigenous Ghanaian societies is highly remarkable. Twumasi (1975), citing the golden stool of the Asante, talks about its significance in the unity it gives to the nation and also the strong belief that it contains the soul of the nation. The golden stool may be just one example however; every stool used by chiefs in any part of the indigenous society is believed to be imbued with the soul of the land. It also acts as a political symbol of power and authority. 3 Warren (1986) sees the chief as not just a ruler, but also a symbol of ethnic identity and values. This makes his stool to be revered above any other object in his paraphernalia. They carry a lot of powerful symbols meant to impart knowledge on the cultures and traditions of the society. The stool features prominently in the religious lives of the indigenous Ghanaian. It is believed to embody the spirits of the ancestors as such used in various ceremonies and rituals of religious dimensions. The stools of chiefs and some elders in the society are blackened after their death. These black stools are usually regarded as highly sacred objects. Another use of the stool is its role in the socio-economic development of the society. It helps to foster a harmonious co-existence among all members of the society. Looking at the importance of the stool as discussed, it becomes an extraordinary artwork which is indispensable in the very lives of the indigenous Ghanaian societies. In recent times, African and for that matter, Ghanaian culture, has assumed a dual facet. An attempt to blend cultures to arrive at a generally acceptable one, might result in a superior culture dominating the weaker ones. Usually, the distinctions which separate cultures, (which mark one group of people as different from another), is dominated in today's globalizing world (Gadzekpo, 2004). This creates a “cultural vacuum” where later generations will be struggling for a fitting culture. One way out of this is to document the existing culture to serve as a handy reference for future generations. 4 Over the years, indigenous societies either consciously or unconsciously documented their cultures through the various art forms such as sculptures, textiles, music, and dance as well as the various body art. This is the underlying objective of this research which aims at documenting the indigenous stools of the Okre ethnic group of Akuapem in Ghana. Such an objective will provoke the thoughts of Ghanaian artists and academicians in documenting of the cultural practises of the people, not only in the field of anthropology but also in all spheres of human endeavour. It will also go a long way in achieving a credible trend that has a reputable modern sense of expressions for a Ghanaian cultural identity. In the field of Art Education, the sociological as well as the philosophical insight of the various art works used in individual cultures are very important. Gilbert (1989:34) re- echoes Leach (1983:256) argument that “objects which we rate as works of art need always be considered in context. Works of art are not just things in themselves, they are objects carrying moral implications”. The knowledge of such “moral implications” enables both the teacher and student realise how various societies the world over react to their art works. This reaction is usually in the thought process governing their making and use. Adzraku (1996:18) is of the view that it helps the society “to solve nagging spiritual, psychological, sociological and emotional problems of mankind”. Adu-Agyem (1998:2) stressed that such knowledge “fosters creativity and also helps the individuals 5 in the recipient society to make intelligent judgement about their environment and that of others in the wake of technological advancement”. The knowledge gathered in the study of the sociological and philosophical aspect of an art work usually become the basis for the formulation of curricula aimed at helping students and their would-be students not only learn the designing and making of artworks but also, to be able to: • design items meant to be used in solving specific problems in the society as has been done over ages. • enshrine the cultural context of either their society or a given society in the work of art they produce. • appreciate the concepts and practises of a particular culture in the light of their art forms. • pass on the essence of their culture to subsequent generations in their teaching by interpreting current and past works. This could help them to compare the art forms of different cultures and generations, thus drawing a conclusion as to how the present day art should be. • incorporate new ideas and materials in the making of their art works suitable for the present generation without losing the essence of their own culture in their works. • formulate administrative and educational policies on the making and use of art forms as a relevant ingredient for national development. 6 1.2 Statement of the Problem According to the National Art Educators Association (NAEA), “Knowledge is not given but made. Whatever we believe we know is the result of our effort to inquire, organize and finally, to build structures of conception that illuminates and forms of expression that can be made public and therefore shared.