Kuduo were ornamentally decorated and lidded, cast copper alloy vessels used to store valuables like gold dust, jewelry, and beads. They were status markers owned by chiefs and kings, produced from the late medieval period until the 19th century.
They are decorated with geometric patterns, and often feature symbolic figurative scenes, such as the Ashanti example of a stylized leopard pouncing on an antelope, signifying a chief’s power over his subjects.
Unlike the secular “forowa”, lidded vessels made from cold-worked sheet brass, the cast kuduo were sacred vessels.
Symbolic receptacles for their owners’ “kra”, or soul. As such, the owner of a kuduo was buried with it, including its valuable contents.
