For two centuries, the Asante Empire dominated the Gold Coast of modern Ghana, leaving behind a legacy of power symbolized by ornate gold artifacts. One such relic – a cast gold spider ornament from the sword of King Kwaku Dua II – took an improbable journey from West Africa to Texas, and ultimately saved the life of a British colonial official.
A Symbol of Power, Stolen in War
The Asante spider, crafted from a gold-copper-silver alloy, measures just under five inches across and would have been affixed to a ceremonial sword wielded only by the king. It represents wisdom, according to Asante tradition. However, its story takes a dark turn with the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. As the British Empire tightened its grip on the Gold Coast in the late 19th century, hundreds of royal treasures were looted – including this very ornament.
In 1884, Sir Samuel Rowe, the British governor, received the spider as a “gift” from Bosommuru, the Asante royal court’s chief spokesperson. While intended as a gesture of friendship, British law forbade officials from accepting such presents. Rowe returned it to Kumasi with his envoy, Robert Low Brandon-Kirby.
From Diplomat to Fugitive
How Brandon-Kirby came to possess the spider is murky. What is clear is that he used it to finance land speculation in the American Southwest with a partner, James Cree. Brandon-Kirby’s arrogance quickly alienated locals, leading to threats of violence.
According to family lore passed down through the Cree lineage, Brandon-Kirby was warned of an impending lynching. Desperate, he sold the spider at a steep discount to James Cree and fled the country in a literal pickle barrel. The ornament remained with the Cree family for generations before being acquired by the Dallas Museum of Art in 2014.
A Unique Artifact, a Violent History
Roslyn Walker, a curator at the Dallas Museum of Art, notes that this spider is unique; no other similar gold ornaments have surfaced in Asante collections. The artifact’s journey underscores the brutal reality of colonialism: treasures stolen from one culture, traded for survival in another, and eventually displayed in a Western museum.
The spider’s story is not just about gold and royalty, but about theft, desperation, and the violent undercurrents of empire.
Its survival is a testament to both its beauty and the desperate lengths people will go to survive. The Asante spider remains a potent symbol of lost glory and the lasting consequences of colonial conquest.
