Description
The National Museum of Ghana, located at No. 2 Barnes Road in Central Accra, was opened on 5th March 1957, the eve of Ghana’s Independence. The National Museum has three main galleries: these deal respectively with Ghana’s past; her traditions; and with the country’s arts culture. The galleries present exhibits on prehistoric Africa; they display sculptures and paintings from pioneering and contemporary artists; and they provide examples of traditional attire, local musical instruments, and sacred tribal artefacts such as Asante ancestral stools, traditionally believed to be the receptacle of the soul of the chief who sat on them.
Also on display are: chiefs’ regalia; indigenous Ghanaian musical instruments; gold-weights; beads; traditional textiles, stools and pottery; exhibits on traditional dance, agriculture and iron making; exhibits on the slave trade in Ghana; Senfu masks from La Cote d’ Ivoire; Zulu wooden figures and bead-ware from Southern Africa; ancient Ife bronze heads from Nigeria and Bushongo; carvings from the Congo; Ghanaian paintings executed in oil, pastel, acrylic and watercolour; and sculpture pieces in different media.
The Museum also boasts a sculpture garden, displaying, amongst other artworks, life-size statues of historical figures such as Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana. There is the chance to have a guided tour of the museum. The museum’s gift shop offers a variety of traditional Ghanaian handicrafts such as baskets, jewellery, pottery and woodcarvings.
Other facilities include a Library, a Conservation Laboratory, the Education Hall, which is used for conferences, seminars and workshops, a “Sculpture Garden”.
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