New dimension in the design of Asante gold and silver smithing products

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Date
1993-09-04
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Gold and silversmithing has prospects of becoming major contributor of the nontraditional export trade in Ghana However, there are weaknesses in design and finishing which need redress. The research seeks to identify some of these problems stemming from weaknesses in design and finishing. It proposes ways to correct them to meet contemporary market competition. The research methods employed are descriptive and analytical. The scope covered a random sampling of two major groups of Asante gold / and silversmiths. About fifteen out of the thirty indigenous brass casters were interviewed for information on their trade. Twenty-five out of the sixty workshops of the second group were covered in the research. Officials of the Ghana Export Promotions Council were consulted for standards of products for international markets. In the research, some guidelines have been suggested as a means of improving the existing designs. It has also been proposed that product design be incorporated into the profession. On finishing of the products, step by step procedures have been given and it is hoped that if these are patiently followed, the standard at work would be stepped up. The research revealed that with the rich stock of symbolic maxims, the traditional gold/and silversmith has an advantage over other foreign workshops in terms of uniqueness. The weakness lies in the repetitive nature of designs. There is therefore the need for diversity. It was also revealed that much attention is not given to the finishing procedure. All these have resulted in poor standard of products.
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A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Art Education, 1993
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