Fante Asafo Flags on display in Genoa

As part of the exhibition “The Wonders of Africa: African Art from Italian Collections” that opens today at the Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, sixteen exceptional Fante Asafo flags will be on display until 5 June 2011. Drawn from an important private collection, this selection highlights the artistry of Fante flagmakers working in the first half of the twentieth century. Please do not reproduce the images below without permission.

There is an excellent publication “Asafo” by Federico Carmignani that illustrates the collection and introduces new research. Text is in English and Italian. Available from the publishers here.

If you are interested in collecting Asafo flags please take a look at my earlier post on real and fake flags here and the selection in our gallery here.

New book: “Asafo” by Federico Carmignani

With text in both Italian and English this brief (48 pages) new book written by Federico Carmignani introduces the Asafo flag tradition in an article illustrated with both archival images and field photographs, then presents a selection of beautiful, well chosen, examples. It is an important addition to the small literature on Fanti Asafo flags. Available from the publisher here.