Over 600 years ago the Akan started to make brass weights for weighing gold dust, the currency of their region in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Eventually they produced the most complete three dimensional inventory of any culture in history. Virtually every animal, bird, fish or object known to them became the subject of a miniature sculpture. Human figures are represented in the activities of everyday life and sacred or courtly rituals, together with pioneer casts from nature and a wealth of abstract and ornamental designs. Tom Phillips has built up the world's most comprehensive collection of these lively and imaginative artefacts and here presents a selection of more than 500 chosen for their artistry and interest, accompanied by a full descriptive text about their history, styles and modes of manufacture. 220pp, GERMANY. HANSJÖRG MAYER.

In these lively life stories, women market traders from Ghana comment on changing social and economic times and on reasons for their prosperity or decline in fortunes. Gracia Clark shows that market women are intimately connected with economic policy on a global scale. Many work at the intersection of sophisticated networks of trans-national commerce and migration. They have dramatic memories of independence and the growth of their new nation, including political rivalries, price controls, and violent raids on the market. The experiences of these women give substance to their reflections on globalization, capital accumulation, colonialism, technological change, environmental degradation, teenage pregnancy, marriage, children, changing gender roles, and spirituality. 280pp, USA. INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS.

A survey of the society, religion, history and art of the Asante of Ghana. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY, 0823919757

Beads are culturally, historically and archeologically important in Ghana. This collection of interviews with sellers, wearers, importers and producers of beads dynamically describes their use culturally and socially. Also includes essays on the manufacture of glass beads and the mysterious Aggrey Bead. Illustrated with colour photographs and images. 153pp, GHANA. GHANA U P.

2003 9964303033 Paperback

An annotated bibliography providing a comprehensive update of the growing body of knowledge on gender and the Ghanaian family, encompassing traditional and modern households. Index, xv, 624pp, GHANA. WOELI PUBLISHING SERVICES.

The most extensive bi-lingual Twi Proverbs Dictionary published since J.G. Christaller's book was first published in 1879. Kwame Anthony Appiah's introduction demonstrates how these proverbs can be interpreted within the tested and contested theories of meaning and literary production to show how they compare with philosophical musings from ancient Greece to England. An invaluable collection of over 7000 proverbs that speak to the nuances of Akan and Asante life, thought, belief and social organisation. British writer and painter Appiah (1921-2006) lived among the Asante and Akan people of Ghana for over 50 years, and wrote widely about them, mostly for children. She compiled this collection with the help of her son Kwame Anthony Appiah and Ivor Agyeman-Duah. 311pp, UK. AYEBIA.

Chieftaincy is one of the most enduring traditional institutions in Ghana, which has displayed remarkable resilience from pre-colonial through colonial to postcolonial times. Nowadays, chiefs are under pressure to achieve good governance in their traditional areas. They carry out their duties in an increasingly globalised world where the accent is on democracy, human rights, health delivery, employment, human development and regional integration. Their ability to come to terms with these challenges will provide an indication of their relevance and the relevance of the institution to Ghana's long-term development. This volume is the most comprehensive and detailed scholarly study of the institution of chieftaincy to date. 700pp, GHANA. SUB-SAHARAN PUBLISHERS.

In Ghana, land has become increasingly commoditised as a result of the growing value of real estate and the development of new commercial agricultural sectors. This has led to an intensification of attempts by chiefs, earth priests, land users, and governmental actors to redefine land ownership and tenure. The contributions to this volume critically examine ideas on customary land tenure in Ghana. They analyse the relations between the customary and statutory tenure and the institutional interactions between the state and traditional authorities in land administration, addressing issues of power, economic interests, transparency, accountability, conflicts and notions of social justice, equity and negotiation. Index, 230pp, NETHERLANDS. AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS.

A study of the political economy of the Sisala of northern Ghana. The author looks the creation of the community and how its evolution has been influenced from the earliest times by the world system, from slave raiding to global capitalism. Index, refs, notes, b/w photos, tables, figs, xiii, maps, 425pp, USA. CAROLINA ACADEMIC PRESS.

2001 0890896372 Paperback

Focuses on the appropriation and protection of adinkra and kente cloth in order to examine the broader implications of the use of intellectual property law to preserve folklore and other traditional forms of knowledge. Boateng investigates the compatibility of indigenous practices of authorship and ownership with those established under intellectual property law, considering the ways in which both are responses to the changing social and historical conditions of decolonization and globalization. Comparing textiles to the more secure copyright protection that Ghanaian musicians enjoy under Ghanaian copyright law, she demonstrates that different forms of social, cultural, and legal capital are treated differently under intellectual property law. Boateng then moves beyond Africa, expanding her analysis to the influence of cultural nationalism among the diaspora, particularly in the United States, on the appropriation of Ghanaian and other African cultures for global markets. 248pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS.

An up-to-date narrative on the most significant elements of the established cultural life and institutions as well as the most recent changes in the cultural landscape. BNS, 220pp, USA. GREENWOOD, 0313320500

El Anatsu began his artistic career as a young artist in Ghana, where he built sculpture primarily from wood. He has continued to use wood throughout his practice, particularly during his early years as lecturer of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. As his art grew, so too did the range of his materials. Over three decades he has incorporated found metal and other media, infusing the work with references to personal, cultural, and global histories. At the Venice Biennale in 2007 El Anatsui stunned the world with two monumental sculptures made from thousands of liquor-bottle tops stretched between columns. This career retrospective includes a selection of the artist's most important objects, including ceramic, wood, and metal pieces as well as rare paintings, prints, and drawings that complement his sculpture. This is Anatsui's most comprehensive exhibition to date. Lisa M. Binder is assistant curator at the Museum for African Art, New York. Other contributors include Kwame Anthony Appiah, Olu Oguibe, Chika Okeke-Agulu, and Robert Storr. 170pp, USA. MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART.

Drawing on two decades of research, this social and political history of North-Western Ghana traces the creation of new ethnic and territorial boundaries, categories and forms of self-understanding, and represents a major contribution to debates on ethnicity, colonialism and the 'production of history'. It explores the creation and redefinition of ethnic distinctions and commonalities by African and European actors, showing that ethnicity's power derives from a contradiction: while ethnic identities purport to be non-negotiable, creating permanent bonds, stability and security, the boundaries of the communities created and the associated traits and practices are malleable and adaptable to specific interests and contexts. 384pp, UK. EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Conflict in Northern Ghana appears to be increasing in amplitude and frequency and its effects are getting more devastating. It is the view of this book that the government of Ghana and civil society organisations involved in aspects of conflict management have approached peace issues in the region with an inadequate understanding of the local issues that divide and unite the people, or using sufficient resources to pre-empt conflict. 342pp, GHANA. SUB-SAHARAN PUBLISHERS.

A survey of the society, history, art and life today of the Fante of Ghana. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY.

Based on work with a broad number of informants, David B. Kronenfeld details and analyses internal variation in usage within the Fanti community, shows the relationship between terminology and social groups and communicative usage, and relates these findings to major theoretical work on kinship and on the intersections of language, thought, and culture. Including computational and comparative studies of kinship terminologies, this volume represents the fullest analysis of any kinship terminological system in the ethnographic record. 392pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PRESS.

Nnwonkoro is a genre of women’s song found among the Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana. It has become a hybrid musical form, incorporating songs and dance movements based on traditional practices alongside others reflecting Christian influence. Nnwonkoro groups perform regularly at funerals, on state occasions, for entertainment, and even in church. Based on extensive fieldwork in the Asante and Bono Ahafo regions, and featuring many transcriptions of songs, this book investigates the nature of composition in oral culture, together with issues such as the scope of the poetic imagination and the transformation processes that accompany modernization. Includes a compact disc. Index, bib, apps, 234pp, UK. ASHGATE PUBLISHERS.

Ewe dance-drumming has been extensively studied throughout the history of ethnomusicology, but up to now there has not been a single study that addresses Ewe female musicians. James Burns redresses this deficiency through a detailed ethnography of a group of female musicians from the Dzigbordi community dance-drumming club from the rural town of Dzodze, located in South-Eastern Ghana. Dzigbordi was specifically chosen because of the author's long associa-tion with the group members, and because it is part of a genre known as adekede, or female songs of redress, where women musicians critique gender relations in society. Includes a DVD documentary. 200pp, UK. ASHGATE.

Although the Koma are known throughout the world as a result of the so-called Komaland-terracottas, excavated in the 1980s, no extensive ethnographic publication about their culture has appeared yet. The present book comprises some of the results of Franz Kröger's surveys during six field research trips between 1984 and 2008. It is also based on the profound knowl-edge of the co-author, Ben Baluri Saibu, a lawyer from the Koma village of Yikpabongo. The main focus of the book is the social, political and economic structure of the Koma, as well as their material culture, and, above all, their traditional religion and the extraordinarily dynamic history. A Konni-English word list with approximately 2400 entries might be interesting for linguists specialised in the West African Gur languages. 568pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

Covers Ga civilization from antiquity. Resurrects medieval Ga history and cultural practices. Re-discovers indigenous Ga polity subsumed in British rule over Ghana. Notes, app, index, 365pp, UK, 0953886808

Exhibition catalogue of this key contemporary Ghanaian artist, famed for his kente inspired forms made from recycled objects. 48pp, UK. ORIEL MOSTYN GALLERY.

Ghana: An African Portrait by the American photographer Paul Strand was published in 1963 at the request of Kwame Nkrumah. It became a classic but is now out of print. Over 40 years after that landmark work, and coinciding with the 50th anniversary celebrations of Ghana’s independence, the country is documented again as it enters the 21st century. Six photographers with six points of view of working present a unique portrait of the country, through 150 photographs. From Accra to Bolatanga, and Elmina to Aflao, these are images of a country that is changing yet still retains much of its traditional character. There are photographs of bead makers, wood carvers, kente weavers and coffin makers; and of Ghana’s unique fishing industry, its historic slave forts, outdoor markets, and the diverse religious community. And at the same time, a country poised to compete in world markets is seen through Accra’s rising skyline buildings and Tema’s modern port facilities. Abena Busia’s essay provides a capsule history of the country. 134pp, GHANA. SUB-SAHARAN PUBLISHERS

This book paints a picture of life in Ghana, through the stories of Ghanaians themselves. It includes a brief historical background - of the 16th century states trading in ivory, gold, and slaves, the effect of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and of British colonial rule - the book traces the growth of modern Ghana. Many b/w illus. index, 88pp. UK. OXFAM PUBLICATIONS, 0855984317

Full colour photographic study of the cultures and peoples of Ghana, with accompanying text and poetry. 80pp, UK. TRAVELAGENDA.

Investigates the role of healing in non-western healing utilising interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives to formulate a new and different theory of ritual and healing. This approach opens a way for a dialectical, contextual hermeneutics of practical theology in non-western culture, from which Christian theology can gain insights into the traditions out of which people become Christian. Bib, 230pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

Focusing on the case of Ghana, this book investigates the ways in which healers and indigenous archives of cultural knowledge conceptualize and interpret medicine and healing. In order to unearth these prevailing concepts, Konadu utilizes in-depth interviews, plant samples, material culture, linguistics, and other sources. 244pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Celebrates the life of the Asante king and explains the institution of kingship. Many col ill, refs, bib, 104pp, GHANA, 9964911249

A study of the rural economy of Ghana using Konkonuru, a village in the Akwapim Hills as a case study. Based on 28 years of ethnographic involvement, the author describes the impact of missionaries, customs and chieftancy of Akwapim, the relationship between the village and the Aburi stool and also looks at farming activities and migrant citizens. Index, refs, apps, maps, tables, 244pp, GHANA. GHANA U P.

2003 9964302916 Paperback

Examines the society of Sabon Zongo, one of the oldest migrant communities in Accra, Ghana. This study is based on 25 years research. BNS, 275pp, USA. PRAEGER, 0275976009

A description of how Asante in present day Ghana give meaning to funeral celebrations. BNS, USA. TRANSACTION PUBLISHERS, 9052600031

New updated edition. Examines the competing systems of matrilineal and patrilineal succession amongst the Effutu, and the political ramifications of this. Bib, index, 238pp, USA. UNIVERSITY PRESS OF AMERICA.

Traces Fulani mobility, survival, and identity across space and through time. The author connects her investigation to universal experiences of migration, social change, education, and family life. BNS, 326pp, UK. TRANSACTION PUBLISHERS, 0765801264

Raises pertinent questions about the role of motherhood in Ghana, and the false ideals which surround the process of motherhood. The author looks at the parents' role in bringing up children, as well as the cultural, economic and legal constraints imposed upon Ghanaian parents. Index, bib, 73pp, GHANA. GHANA U P.

An ethnographic examination of the day-to-day practices of the officials of Ghana's Customs Service, exploring the impact of neoliberal restructuring and integration into the global economy on Ghanaian sovereignty. From the revealing vantage point of the customs office, Chalfin discovers a fascinating inversion of our assumptions about neoliberal transformation: bureaucrats and local functionaries, government offices, checkpoints, and registries are typically held to be the targets of reform, but Chalfin finds that these figures and sites of authority act as the engine for changes in state sovereignty. 304pp, USA. CHICAGO U P.

Collection of original and traditional stories told by ordinary people. As the compiler and mediator of the tales states: 'Two and a half hours awe-inspiring hours spent with 84 year old Mr Nutsugah where one story flowed seamlessly into another. A day recording the fishermen in Anyako, as far from being in a purpose built studio as can be imagined as goats jumped up to eat bananas on the table, wide-eyed children wandered in and out, cocks crowed, men sewed and hammered just a few feet away. In Have, a wonderful and unexpected reception was given as the storytellers moved towards us singing a welcome.' B/w illus, 175pp, UK. TROUBADOR PUBLISHING.

Documents a rubbish dump in Ghana that has become the repository for discarded computers from around the world. These haunting images document the true cost of a misguided policy - the shipping of millions of tons of obsolete computers to developing countries. The computers are burned to extract valuable metals, effectively turning the site into a toxic wasteland that contaminates air, soil, and groundwater for miles around. 128pp, UK. PRESTEL.

Tells the story of Ewe kente: how the cloth is produced by families of traditional weavers in the towns and villages of the southern Volta region; how it is worn on special occasions by the men and women of Ghana; and what the different designs, patterns and colours mean and symbolise. The author is a master weaver from a renowned family of weavers. He learnt the traditions and techniques of Ewe kente at a young age and now works as a weaver full time. In 2003, he featured as one of the best young weavers in a Unesco research initiative into the 'intangible heritage' of kente. 72pp, GHANA. SUB-SAHARAN PUBLISHERS.

Friedson's second book on the critical role of music in African ritual, this focuses on the Brekete/Gorovodu religion of the Ewe people, analysing their practices through a historical and ethnographic study of one of the dominant ritual sites on the southern coast of Ghana: a medicine shrine whose origins lie in the northern region of the country. Each chapter considers a different facet of the Ewe's religious practices, demonstrating throughout that none of them can be conceived of separately from their musicality - in the Brekete world music functions as ritual, and ritual as music. Dance and possession, chanted calls to prayer, animal sacrifice, the sounds and movements of wake keeping, and the play of the drums all come under scrutiny. 272pp, USA. CHICAGO U P.

Drawing on her extensive fieldwork and missionary and colonial archives, Steegstra shows how the contemporary performance of dipo relates to and is shaped by Krobo encounters with missionary Christianity, colonial intervention and modern nationalism. Krobo responses to global processes of change involved considerable resistance, and over time, ongoing local struggles but also a pursuit of cultural resilience. Bib, gloss, 348pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

When Karen Palmer arrived in northern Ghana in 2004 to work for six months with a non-governmental organisation devoted to improving the quality of human rights journalism, she carried with her a youthful confidence and a firm belief that witches did not exist. She thought: If only this isolated region in the corner of Africa could receive more aid, more development, more rain then these poor women would not be cast out as witches. Then she met a woman who claimed she was a witch and Palmer's world was turned upside down. 256pp, USA. FREE PRESS.

Revised edition. A thorough description and analysis of traditional social institutions, looking also at issues of sociological significance such as population growth, bribery and corruption, and tribalism. This revised edition has been fully updated, taking into account changes that have taken place since 1992. Index, bib, gloss, apps, xiii, 281pp, GHANA. GHANA U P, 9964302932

This book offers an ethnography of the emergence of a local Christianity and its relation to changing social, political and economic formations among the Peki Ewe in Ghana. App, notes, glos, ref, index. xxvi,265pp. UK. EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS.