Altar (Asen)

Among the Fon people of the coastal city of Ouidah in Benin, master artists created a distinguished style of altars known as asen. Crafted from forged iron, they comprise a tall rod that supports a large cone-shaped platform that holds forged and cutout iron figurines commemorating the persons for whose spirit they were intended. Such memorial sculptures express the interdependence of the living and the dead. Compared to newspaper obituaries or tombstone inscriptions, the complex design and dense iconography of their scenic tableaus bear imagery that refers to the ancestor’s profession, his religious beliefs, or his family. Blending visual and verbal art forms, proverbs and puns in the image’s details often confuse interpretations for outsiders. Accompanied by members of his family, the central seated figure with his chiefly attire and attributes most likely represents a person of rank and authority. The animals represent sacrificial offerings or simply refer to proverbs.