Brown and Cream Wood Folding Table with Adinkra Symbols, "Adinkra"

Ghanaian artisan Ali Mohammed presents an intriguing sese wood accent table with cultural significance. The tabletop bears a series of adinkra symbols, carved and painted in ivory over dark brown. Adinkra symbols are visual symbols that were introduced by the Akan peoples; they usually represent proverbs or concepts. The table folds for easy storage when not in use.

The adinkra symbols on the tabletop are: Hye won hye, which translates to "that which does not burn"--a symbol of imperishability and endurance; Gye nyame, meaning "except for God"-- a symbol of God's supremacy; Wawa aba, "seed of the wawa tree" representing hardiness, toughness and perseverance; Nsoromma, "child of the heavens", a symbol of guardianship; Nyame biribi wo soro, meaning "God is in the heavens", a symbol of hope; Sankofa, meaning "return and get it", a symbol of the importance of learning from the past; Osram ne nsoromma, "the moon and the star", a symbol of love, faithfulness, and harmony; Nkonsonkonson, "chain link", a symbol of unity and human relations; and Sepow, "the knife thrust through the cheeks of the man about to be executed to prevent his invoking a curse on the king"--a symbol of justice.