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The Abetei are original, modern emblems created by Ishmael Annobil in response to the baffling disappearance of the ancient Kpamo Emblems of the GaDangme people of Accra, Ghana. Known traditionally as ancient embodiments of GaDangme philosophy, cosmology and oratorical lore, the Kpamo emblems once adorned shrines, canoes and gateways of Old Accra, till their virtual extinction by the late 70’s. These refined and eloquent ‘successor’ emblems, and their associated proverbs, count among Annobil’s finest poetic and artistic achievements. They also reflect his life-long study and sensitivity towards African symbolism and abstraction. Through them Annobil has started a magnificent revival of an ancient idiom, and this may come to be known as a major historical landmark in the long history of the GaDangme people, and the art of the African continent. Crucially, the Abetei have also come at a time when the GaDangme people are suffering the dire effects of a population shift, including a wearing away of the Ga language. They will invariably serve as succour to these gentle people, as intended, and hopefully trigger off a much-anticipated renaissance, not just in Ghana, but Africa and the Diaspora at large. The proverbs and adages underpinning the Abetei represent aspects of GaDangme cosmology, moral codes and credos, as I have understood them since my childhood. I have striven to uphold the ideals of spiritual and material dualism, hospitality, territorial and political restraint, social balance, tolerance, probity, the centrality of motherhood, and, above all, the omnipotence of The Deity. I therefore feel confident enough to present this work to the GaDangme people, to all Ghanaians, to all Africans, to the African Diaspora, and to the world at large, Annobil asserts.
