It’s generally agreed that a trip to a museum is almost certainly educational, at times entertaining and often enlightening. The fortress-like buildings tend to be full of treasures and objects from all over the world, bringing the past to life in wondrous ways. But have you ever stopped to think how the objects found their way there and what they might say if they could tell their own stories?
In the Museum of Bad Vibes, Hanna Adan explores the cultural & spiritual significance an Akan Gold weight, Benin Bronze, a Chinese Ancestral Tablet and a Papua New Guinean Koi board; learns how they they got to be in some of the UK’s most celebrated museums and asks whether they could or should be returned to their countries and communities of origin.
It’s generally agreed that a trip to a museum is almost certainly educational, at times entertaining and often enlightening. The fortress-like buildings tend to be full of treasures and objects from all over the world, bringing the past to life in wondrous ways. But have you ever stopped to think how the objects found their way there and what they might say if they could tell their own stories?
In the Museum of Bad Vibes, Hanna Adan explores the cultural & spiritual significance an Akan Gold weight, Benin Bronze, a Chinese Ancestral Tablet and a Papua New Guinean Koi board; learns how they they got to be in some of the UK’s most celebrated museums and asks whether they could or should be returned to their countries and communities of origin.
Gold weights were significant objects in pre-colonial Ghana as they were used to weigh gold dust during social and political engagements such as births, deaths, funerals and marriages. Gold weights come in a variety of shapes and sizes and in this episode, we focus on the spirit of the Sankofa gold weight.
Awakening in the Museum of Bad Vibes, Sankofa nostalgically recalls its former life and laments its loss of use and companionship. In his prime, he played an important role in trade and commerce in Ghana, but also embodied esoteric properties related to ancestral knowledge.
On this sonic museum tour, Hanna Adan, with the assistance of experts, explores traditional Akan religious beliefs, speculates on this gold weight’s unclear but but fascinating provenance and unpacks what we can still learn from its teachings.
Produced and Presented by Hanna Adan With story by George Bailey
Assistant Producer and Editor: Kwaku Dapaah-Danquah Researcher: Seyi Bolarin Starring: Derek Oppong and Maria Gbeleyi Contributors: Dr John Giblin and Dalian Adofo Production Mentors: Jane Thurlow and Corinna Jones Sound Designer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Tech Producer: Bob Nettles Executive Producers: Khaliq Meer & Leanne Alie Commissioned for BBC Sounds Audio Lab by Khaliq Meer Artwork by Joshua Obeng-Boateng
