A flag might show a man wrestling a lion, or a bird with a snake in its beak, and every member of the company would know what it means. Asafo flags, carried by the traditional military companies of the Fante people on Ghana’s coast, are some of the most striking textile art in Africa. Each one is a challenge to rivals, a proverb in fabric.
The Asafo
The Fante, an Akan people of Ghana’s Central Region, organised their communities into Asafo companies. The word is often explained as combining “sa”, war, and “fo”, people. Membership traditionally passed through the father’s line. Historically, the companies defended towns, and today they play roles in festivals, funerals and community work.
Several in each town
A Fante town may have several Asafo companies, each with its own number, name, shrine and flags. Rivalry between companies is part of their identity, and flags are used to tease and challenge one another.
Appliqué
Asafo flags are made by appliqué, sewing shapes of coloured cloth onto a background fabric. Skilled flag makers create bold figures of people, animals, ships, trees and symbols, often in bright reds, blues, yellows and whites.
Proverbs
Most flags illustrate proverbs. An image of a bird catching a snake, a whale, or a figure overpowering an enemy carries a message about the company’s courage and its rivals’ weakness. Understanding a flag requires knowing the proverb behind it.
The Union Jack
From 1874, when Britain declared the Gold Coast a colony, until independence in 1957, many Asafo flags included a version of the British Union Jack in one corner. After independence, it disappeared from new flags, making it a useful clue for dating older banners.
How old
The tradition goes back at least to the eighteenth century and possibly earlier. Early flags may have been painted or drawn rather than appliquéd.
In museums
Asafo flags are held in museum collections around the world, including the British Museum. Collectors value older flags for their history and design.
In festivals
Asafo companies appear at festivals such as Fetu Afahye in Cape Coast, parading with flags, drums and songs. The flags are danced and waved in displays of strength.
Many armies carry flags to show who they are. Fante Asafo companies turned their flags into an art form with something to say, and they still say it every festival season.
