Ethno-Historical Study of the Significance of Royal State Swords

The royal state sword regalia of Asante used by kings, queens, and chiefs are an indispensable part of their worldview, ontology, and epistemology. Additionally, the royal state sword regalia reveal notable aesthetic and symbolic features of Asante culture and history, both triumphal and traumatic. The royal state swords allow us to historicize Asante ideals, political institutions, social organization, social mobility and power, and labour specialization, among others. In Asante, sword regalia play significant roles in indigenous leadership institutions and political systems, accentuating status and authority. Asante sword regalia are characterized by a variety of royal art forms that are utilitarian and also symbolic. They have several cultural and historical traces that need to be understood to illuminate contemporary Asante history and culture.