Exploring Ghana’s Indigenous Metalworks By Using Chasing And Repousse Techniques

Abstract

This study sought to produce an educational map on jewellery and metalworks indigenously produced and used in Ghana. The main objective of the study was to trace the history of indigenous jewellery and metalworks across Ghana through which civilisation of current trend of jewellery and metalworks started and accentuate them using chasing and repousse techniques to serve as an educational material for metal and jewellery industry. Studio-based research and descriptive survey approaches were used to highlight the procedures and methods used in the production. The study purposively sampled 80 metalwork workshops of which 4 respondents each amounting to 320 was used for the analysis. A total of twelve (12) individuals with 2 each from Centre for National Culture in Accra, Kumasi and Wa, Ghana Tourist Authority in Accra, Kumasi, and Wa respectively were also part of the sample for the study. The study adopted interviews and observation as the primary data collection instrument and books, magazines and journals as secondary data collection. The study discovered little or no knowledge of jewellery and metalworks documentation among some of the regions. Most metalwork productions are inherited skills handed over from parents. Utensils and farm implement dominate metalwork production across the country due to the nature of employable skill in the informal sector of the economy. The techniques that ensured the production of the indigenous metalworks were casting, forging, goldsmithing and blacksmithing. The study recommended educational materials and artworks that are fully dedicated to bringing to light the true identity and nature of metalworks and their philosophical values that embrace the trends and development of the jewellery and metal art industry. It also stresses the significance of chasing, repousse, and embossing, among others as fundamental techniques clearly defined in projecting jewellery and metalworks. The study recommends research on new trends in metalworks and its applied technology in Ghana.