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108-409: An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain . The term umbrella is traditionally used when protecting oneself from rain, while parasol is used when protecting oneself from sunlight, though the terms continue to be used interchangeably. Often the difference

216-538: A sunshade , rainshade , snowshade , or beach umbrella ( US English ). An umbrella may also be called a brolly ( UK slang ), gamp ( British, informal, dated ), or bumbershoot ( rare, facetious American slang ). The earliest known parasols in Ancient Egyptian art date back to the Fifth Dynasty , around 2450 BC. The parasol is found in various shapes. Typically it is depicted as a flabellum ,

324-455: A dais should be placed upon the imperial cars. The figure of this dais contained in Zhou Li , and the description of it given in the explanatory commentary of Lin-hi-ye, both identify it with an umbrella. The latter describes the dais to be composed of 28 arcs, which are equivalent to the ribs of the modern instrument, and the staff supporting the covering to consist of two parts, the upper being

432-496: A deer-hunt is represented, at which a king looks on, seated on a horse, and having an umbrella borne over his head by an attendant. The creation of the umbrella is attributed to the wife of Lu Ban , who invented it during the Warring State Period . Some investigators have supposed that its invention was first created by tying large leaves to bough-like ribs (the branching out parts of an umbrella). Others assert that

540-476: A fan of palm -leaves or coloured feathers fixed on a long handle, resembling those now carried behind the Pope in processions. Gardiner Wilkinson , in his work on Egypt, has an engraving of an Ethiopian princess travelling through Upper Egypt in a chariot; a kind of umbrella fastened to a stout pole rises in the centre, bearing a close affinity to what are now termed chaise umbrellas. According to Wilkinson's account,

648-649: A gold-rimmed drinking cup in 1824. British forces later burnt and sacked the Asante capital of Kumasi , however, and following the final Asante defeat at the fifth Anglo-Ashanti War, the Asante empire became part of the Gold Coast colony on 1 January 1902. Today, the Asante Kingdom survives as a constitutionally protected, sub-national traditional state in union with the Republic of Ghana. The current king of

756-402: A heavy indemnity. Practitioners of harmful (evil) forms of sorcery and witchcraft receive death but not by decapitation, for their blood must not be shed. They receive execution by strangling, burning, or drowning. Ordinarily, families or lineages settle disputes between individuals. Nevertheless, such disputes can be brought to trial before a chief by uttering the taboo oath of a chief or

864-501: A large apartment on each side, open in front, with two supporting pillars, which break the view and give it all the appearance of the proscenium or front of the stage of the older Italian theaters. They are lofty and regular, and the cornices of a very bold cane-work in alto-relievo. A drop-curtain of curiously plaited cane is suspended in front, and in each, we observed chairs and stools embossed with gold, and beds of silk, with scattered regalia. Winwood Reade also described his visit to

972-693: A massive Asante territorial expansion, building up the army by introducing new organisation and turning a disciplined royal and paramilitary army into an effective fighting machine. In 1701, the Ashanti army conquered Denkyira , giving the Ashanti access to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean coastal trade with Europeans, notably the Dutch . The economy of the Asante Empire was mainly based on

1080-629: A medium between the people of his jurisdiction, the ancestor and the gods. As the head of the village, the Odikro presided over the village council. The queen or Ohenemaa was an important figure in Asante political systems. She was the most powerful female in the Empire, because the Ohene represents her or her family and is either her son or her sister's son. She has the power to be King, if she desires but would rather see her son or her maternal nephew(which

1188-470: A new market (steel rib designs would not appear until after 1852). Beehler's success attracted competitors. Baltimore was long recognized as the umbrella capital of the country; at the industry's peak in 1920 there were seven umbrella companies in the city producing millions of umbrellas annually. The oldest extant example of a parasols appears in the archaeological record around 2310 BC, in a victory stele of Sargon of Akkad . In later sculptures at Nineveh ,

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1296-518: A parasol". For a man to carry one was considered a mark of effeminacy. In Aristophanes' Birds , Prometheus uses one as a comical disguise. Cultural changes among the Aristoi of Greece eventually led to a brief period – between 505 and 470BC – where men used parasols. Vase iconography bears witness to a transition from men carrying swords, then spears, then staffs, then parasols, to eventually nothing. The parasol, at that time of its fashion, displayed

1404-617: A parking lot canopy, carport , gazebo , Pergola , or patio cover . Ashanti Empire The Asante Empire ( Asante Twi : Asanteman ), also known as the Ashanti Empire , was an Akan state that lasted from 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana . It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and also parts of Ivory Coast and Togo . Due to the empire's military prowess , wealth , architecture, sophisticated hierarchy and culture ,

1512-444: A post of honour among maid-servants to bear it over their mistresses. Allusions to it are tolerably frequent in the poets. ( Ovid Fast. lib. ii., 1. 31 I.; Martial , lib. xi., Ch. 73.; lib. xiv, Ch. 28, 130; Ovid Ars. Am., ii., 209). From such mentions the umbrella seems to have been employed as a defense from sun, but references to its use as a protection against rain, while rare, also exist ( Juvenal , ix., 50.). According to Gorius,

1620-576: A rod 3/18 of a Chinese foot in circumference, and the lower a tube 6/10 in circumference, into which the upper half is capable of sliding and closing. The Book of Han contains a reference to a collapsible umbrella, mentioning its usage in the year 21 AD when Wang Mang (r. 9–23) had one designed for a ceremonial four-wheeled carriage. The 2nd-century commentator Fu Qian added that this collapsible umbrella of Wang Mang's carriage had bendable joints which enabled them to be extended or retracted. A 1st century collapsible umbrella has since been recovered from

1728-424: A small enough bag because of the supporting metal pole's ability to retract, and non-collapsible umbrellas, which only have the canopy that can be folded up. Manually operated umbrellas and spring-loaded automatic umbrellas, which open with a button press, can also be distinguished from one another. Hand-held umbrellas have a type of handle which can be made from wood, a plastic cylinder or a bent "crook" handle (like

1836-652: A sunny beach. The word parasol (originally from French ) is a combination of para , meaning 'to shield from' derived from the Latin parare , and sol , meaning 'sun'. Parapluie (French) similarly consists of para combined with pluie , which means 'rain' (which in turn derives from pluvia , the Latin word for rain); the usage of this word was prevalent in the nineteenth century. Paraneige (French) consists of para combined with neige , which means 'snow' (which in turn derives from nix ,

1944-410: A way that they should not be mistaken for fines , but are considered as revenue to the state, which for the most part welcomes quarrels and litigation . Commutations tend to be far more frequent than executions . Asante are repulsed by murder , and suicide is considered murder. They decapitate those who commit suicide, the conventional punishment for murder. The suicide thus had contempt for

2052-518: Is also considered her 2nd child in African culture). She had the prerogative of being consulted in the process of installing a chief or the king, as she played a major role in the nomination and selection. She settled disputes involving women and was involved in decision-making alongside the Council of elders and chiefs. Not only did she participate in the judicial and legislative processes, but also in

2160-414: Is believed to have visited Agona-Akrofonso . Realizing the strengths of a loose confederation of Akan states, Osei Tutu strengthened centralization of the surrounding Akan groups and expanded the powers of the judiciary system within the centralized government. This loose confederation of small city-states grew into a kingdom and eventually an empire looking to expand its borders. Newly conquered areas had

2268-595: Is evidently a description of the parasol. In Thomas Coryat 's Crudities , published in 1611, about a century and a half prior to the general introduction of the umbrella into England, is a reference to a custom of riders in Italy using umbrellas: And many of them doe carry other fine things of a far greater price, that will cost at the least a duckat, which they commonly call in the Italian tongue umbrellas, that is, things which minister shadowve to them for shelter against

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2376-733: Is in Girolamo dai Libri 's painting Madonna dell Ombrello ("Madonna of the Umbrella"), in which the Virgin Mary is sheltered by a cherub carrying a large, red umbrella (see image). Umbrellas were regarded as marks of distinction for the pope and clergy. Thomas Wright , in his Domestic Manners of the English , gives a drawing from the Harleian MS., No. 604, which represents an Anglo-Saxon gentleman walking out attended by his servant,

2484-566: Is the equivalent of a modern flag. The pantli was carried by the army general. Beehler Umbrella Factory est. 1828 was the first umbrella manufacturing company in the United States. Francis Beehler was a woodcarver in his home country of Germany. After he immigrated to Baltimore, Maryland , he noticed a lack of umbrellas. Americans generally scorned the devices for their "ridiculous effeminacy". Nevertheless he used his talents in making wooden poles and whale bone ribbed umbrellas to create

2592-531: Is the material used for the canopy; some parasols are not waterproof , and some umbrellas are transparent . Umbrella canopies may be made of fabric or flexible plastic. There are also combinations of parasol and umbrella that are called en-tout-cas (French for "in any case"). Generally speaking, parasols and umbrellas are small, handheld, personal use items. Golf umbrellas are the biggest hand-portable umbrellas available. There are two types of umbrellas: completely collapsible umbrellas, which can be folded up into

2700-699: The Asantehene was the only person in Asante permitted to invoke the death sentence in cases of crime. During wartime, the King acted as Supreme Commander of the Asante army , although during the 19th century, the fighting was increasingly handled by the Ministry of War in Kumasi. Each member of the confederacy was also obliged to send annual tribute to Kumasi. The Asantehene (King of all Asante) reigned over all and

2808-474: The Asantehene 's umbrella bearer, the others also spin their umbrellas in tune with the music produced by drummers while accompanying their "Ohene". Umbrellas were also used to provide coolness as well as highlight the importance of the various leaders. The At district of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan was reported to have used an umbrella made from feathers and gold as its pantli , an identifying marker that

2916-530: The Ashanti Crown Colony on 26 September 1901. Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh was deposed and arrested, and he and other Asante leaders were sent into exile in the Seychelles . The Asante Union was dissolved . A British Resident was permanently placed in the city of Kumasi, and soon after a British fort was built there . As a final measure of resistance, the remaining Asante court not exiled to

3024-587: The British , French , Dutch , and Arabs . Scholars of Ashanti history, such as Larry Yarak and Ivor Wilks , disagree over the power of this sophisticated bureaucracy in comparison to the Asantehene, but agree that it was a sign of a highly developed government with a complex system of checks and balances . At the top of Asante's power structure sat the Asantehene , the King of Asante. Each Asantahene

3132-646: The Charles Dickens novel Martin Chuzzlewit as the character was well known for carrying an umbrella, although this usage is now dated or obsolete. Brolly is a slang word for umbrella , used often in Australia, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Bumbershoot is a rare and fanciful Americanism from the late 19th century. A parasol may also be called

3240-411: The Latin word for snow). Hence, a parasol shields from sunlight, a parapluie shields from rain, and a paraneige shields from snow. The word umbrella evolved from the Latin umbra , meaning 'shaded' or 'shadow'. The Oxford English Dictionary records the first recorded usage in this sense in 1611. In Britain, umbrellas were sometimes referred to as "gamps" after the character Mrs. Gamp in

3348-509: The late Mycenaean period ( c. 1320–1190 BC ). Ancient umbrellas could be opened and shut, but rigid examples may have also existed. The earliest archaeological evidence for a collapsible umbrella was unearthed in Samos in a context from about 700 BC and follows closely the shape of a slightly older Phrygian specimen excavated at Gordion . The sliding mechanism of the two pieces is remarkably similar to those in use today. In Classical Greece ,

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3456-547: The town or district . The Elders then presented the nomination to the assembled people. If the assembled citizens disapproved of the nominee, the process was restarted. Chosen, the new Kings were enstooled by the Elders, who admonished him with expectations. The chosen Kings swore a solemn oath to the Earth Goddess and to his ancestors to fulfill his duties honorably in which he "sacrificed" himself and his life for

3564-488: The Asante gold wealth. The Asante also traded enslaved people. At this time the trade of enslaved people was focused towards the north. The army served as the effective tool to procure captives. These captives from war would go to Hausa and Mande traders and would be exchanged for goods from North Africa and other European goods. When the gold mines in the Sahel started to play out, the Asante kingdom rose to prominence as

3672-628: The Asante Empire and Great Britain and its allies. The British lost or negotiated truces in several of these wars, with the final war resulting in British burning of Kumasi and official occupation of the Asante Empire in 1900. The wars were mainly due to Asante attempts to establish a stronghold over the coastal areas of present-day Ghana. Coastal peoples such as the Fante and the Ga came to rely on British protection against Asante incursions. In December 1895,

3780-490: The Asante Empire has been extensively studied and has more historic records written by European, primarily British, authors than any other indigenous culture of sub-Saharan Africa . Starting in the late 17th century, the Asante king Osei Tutu ( c.  1695 – 1717) and his adviser Okomfo Anokye established the Asante Kingdom, with the Golden Stool of Asante as a sole unifying symbol. Osei Tutu oversaw

3888-470: The Asante Royal Palace of Kumasi in 1874: "We went to the king's palace, which consists of many courtyards, each surrounded with alcoves and verandahs, and having two gates or doors, so that each yard was a thoroughfare . . . But the part of the palace fronting the street was a stone house, Moorish in its style . . . with a flat roof and a parapet, and suites of apartments on the first floor. It

3996-576: The Asante as it is believed to contain the Sunsum — spirit or soul of the Asante people. In the 1670s the head of the Oyoko clan, Osei Kofi Tutu I , began another rapid consolidation of Akan peoples via diplomacy and warfare. King Osei Kofi Tutu I and his chief advisor, Okomfo Kwame Frimpong Anokye led a coalition of influential Asante city-states against their mutual oppressor, the Denkyira who held

4104-404: The Asante conception of rectitude and good behaviour , which favours harmony among the people. The rules were made by Nyame (Supreme God ) and the ancestors, and one must behave accordingly. The Asante Empire was one of a series of states along the coast including Dahomey, Benin , and Oyo . The Asante had mountains and large agricultural surpluses. The southern part of the Asante Empire

4212-413: The Asante kingdom as a protectorate . the Asante kingdom was restored to self-rule on 31 January 1935. Asante King Prempeh II was restored in 1957, and the Asante kingdom entered a state union with Ghana on independence from the United Kingdom. The Asante state was a centralized state made up of a hierarchy of heads starting from the " Abusua Panyin" who was head of a family or lineage. The family

4320-558: The Asante kingdom in its thrall. The Asante kingdom utterly defeated them at the Battle of Feyiase , proclaiming its independence in 1701. Subsequently, through hard line force of arms and savoir-faire diplomacy, the duo induced the leaders of the other Asante city-states to declare allegiance and adherence to Kumasi, the Asante capital. From the beginning, King Osei Tutu and priest Anokye followed an expansionist and an imperialistic provincial foreign policy. According to folklore, Okomfo Anokye

4428-462: The Asante kingdom is Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Asantehene . The Asante kingdom is the home to Lake Bosumtwi , Ghana's only natural lake. The state's current economic revenue is derived mainly from trading in gold bars , cocoa , kola nuts and agriculture . The name Asante means "because of war". The word derives from the Twi words ɔsa meaning "war" and nti meaning "because of". This name comes from

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4536-435: The Asante's origin as a kingdom created to fight the Denkyira kingdom. The variant name "Ashanti" comes from British reports transcribing "Asante" as the British heard it pronounced, as-hanti . The hyphenation was subsequently dropped and the name Ashanti remained, with various spellings including Ashantee common into the early 20th century. Between the 10th and 12th centuries AD, the ethnic Akan people migrated into

4644-603: The Asantehene and served as an advisory body to the king. The council was made up of Amanhene or paramount chiefs who were leaders of the various Asante states. The council also included other provincial chiefs. By law the Asantehene never ignored the decisions of the Asanteman council. Doing so could get him de-stooled from the throne. The Asante Empire was made up of metropolitan and provincial states. The metropolitan states were made up of Asante citizens known as amanfo . The provincial states were other kingdoms absorbed into

4752-406: The Asantehene as their king. The Asante government was built upon a sophisticated bureaucracy in Kumasi, with separate ministries to handle the state's affairs. Of particular note was Asante's Foreign Office based in Kumasi; despite its small size, it allowed the state to pursue complex negotiations with foreign powers. The Office was divided into departments to handle relations separately with

4860-549: The British left Cape Coast with an expeditionary force to start what is known as the Third Anglo-Ashanti War , see below . The Asantehene directed the Asante to not resist the British advance, as he feared reprisals from Britain if the expedition turned violent. Shortly thereafter, Governor William Maxwell arrived in Kumasi as well. Britain annexed the territories of the Asante and the Fanti and constituted

4968-573: The East", says that on each side of the Mogul 's throne were two umbrellas, and also describes the hall of the King of Ava was decorated with an umbrella. The chháta of the Indian and Burmese princes is large and heavy, and requires a special attendant, who has a regular position in the royal household. In Ava it seems to have been part of the king's title, that he was "King of the white elephant, and Lord of

5076-629: The French and English Tongues (1614), the French Ombrelle is translated An umbrello; a (fashion of) round and broad fanne, wherewith the Indians (and from them our great ones) preserve themselves from the heat of a scorching sunne; and hence any little shadow, fanne, or thing, wherewith women hide their faces from the sunne. In Fynes Moryson 's Itinerary (1617) is a similar allusion to the habit of carrying umbrellas in hot countries "to auoide

5184-607: The Golden Stool was commanded down from the heavens by Okomfo Anokye, chief-priest or sage advisor to Asantehene Osei Tutu I and floated down from the heavens into the lap of Osei Tutu I. Okomfo Anokye declared the stool to be symbolic of the new Ashanti Union ( the Ashanti Kingdom ) and allegiance was sworn to the stool and to Osei Tutu as the Asantehene . The newly declared Ashanti union subsequently waged war against and defeated Denkyira. The stool remains sacred to

5292-534: The King the exclusive right to produce folding umbrellas for five years. A model was purchased by the Princess Palatine in 1712, and she enthused about it to her aristocratic friends, making it an essential fashion item for Parisiennes. In 1759, a French scientist named Navarre presented a new design to the French Academy of Sciences for an umbrella combined with a cane. Pressing a small button on

5400-484: The King. In the end, the King's Court is the sentencing court, for only the King can order the death penalty . Before the Council of Elders and the King's Court, the litigants orate comprehensively. Anyone present can cross-examine the defendant or the accuser, and if the proceedings do not lead to a verdict , a special witness is called to provide additional testimony . If there is only one witness, their sworn oath assures

5508-574: The Roman Empire , in the 5th and 6th centuries, the umbrella and parasol were largely forgotten in Europe, for the next few centuries. Beginning in the 8th century, there are numerous contemporary depictions and descriptions of umbrellas and parasols during the remainder of the Middle Ages , predominantly used in the religious ceremonies of the church. By the 8th century, the umbrella and parasol

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5616-788: The Seychelles mounted an offensive against the British Residents at the Kumasi Fort. The resistance was led by Asante queen Yaa Asantewaa , Queen-Mother of Ejisu. From March 28 to late September 1900, the Asante and British were engaged in what would become known as the War of the Golden Stool . In the end, the British were victorious; they exiled Asantewaa and other Asante leaders to the Seychelles to join Asante King Prempeh I. In January 1902, Britain finally designated

5724-594: The Supreme Judge of their jurisdiction, presiding over court cases. The Kotoko was a government council in the Asante government. Politically, the kotoko council served as the counterweight to the king's council of elders and basically embodied the aristocratic party in the government. The council formed the Legislature of Asante governmental system. It was made up of the Asantehene, the Queen mother as well as

5832-915: The Three Schools ( 演禽斗數三世相書 ) by Yuan Tianwang ( 袁天網 ), that was printed in about 1270 AD features a picture of a collapsible umbrella that is exactly like the modern umbrella of today's China. The oil-paper umbrella also originated in China and was spread among the common people after the Eastern Han dynasty . It started to be introduced in other countries in the Tang dynasty and eventually spread across several East, South and Southeast Asian countries such as Japan , Malaysia , Myanmar , Bangladesh , India , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Laos and Vietnam , where it has been further developed with different characteristics. The Sanskrit epic Mahabharata relates

5940-504: The advice and decisions of the Council of Elders. Kings of the Asante Empire who violated any of the oaths taken during his or her enstoolment, were destooled by Kingmakers. For instance, if a king punished citizens arbitrarily or was exposed as corrupt, he would be destooled. Destoolment entailed kingmakers removing the sandals of the king and bumping his buttocks on the ground three times. Once destooled from office, his sanctity and thus reverence were lost, as he could not exercise any of

6048-517: The ancestors, and are only secondarily harmful to the community . If the chief or King fails to punish such acts, he invokes the anger of the ancestors and the gods, and is therefore in danger of impeachment . The penalty for some crimes (sins) is death, but this is seldom imposed; a more common penalty is banishment or imprisonment . The King typically exacts or commutes all capital cases . These commuted sentences by King and chiefs sometimes occur by ransom or bribe ; they are regulated in such

6156-693: The beames of the Sunne". Their employment, says the author, is dangerous, "because they gather the heate into a pyramidall point, and thence cast it down perpendicularly upon the head, except they know how to carry them for auoyding that danger". During Streynsham Master 's 1676 visit to the East India Company 's factory in Masulipatnam he noted that only the governor of the town and the next three officials in seniority were allowed to have "a roundell [i.e. umbrella] carried over them." In France,

6264-488: The betterment of the state. This elected and enstooled King enjoyed a great majestic ceremony with much spectacle and celebration. He reigned with much despotic power, including the ability to make judgments of life and death on his subjects. However, he did not enjoy absolute rule . Upon the stool, the King was sacred. He served as the holy intermediary between the people and the ancestors. His powers theoretically were more apparent than real and hinged on his attention to

6372-419: The chiefs of other divisions considerably checked the power of the King. This in practical effect created a system of checks and balances. As the symbol of the nation, the Asantehene received significant deference ritually, for the context was religious in that he was a symbol of the people in the flesh: the living, dead or yet to be born. When the king committed an act not approved of by the counsel of elders or

6480-430: The court, for only the King may kill an Asante. In a murder trial , intent must be established. If the homicide is accidental, the murderer pays compensation to the lineage of the deceased. The insane cannot be executed because of the absence of responsible intent – except for murder or cursing the King; in the case of cursing the king, drunkenness is a valid defense. Capital crimes include murder, incest within

6588-530: The empire. The predominant fauna or food rich wildlife and animal species encountered in the Asante Empire were the hen , sheep , goat , duck , turkey , rabbit , guinea fowl , fish , and the porcupine which became the national emblem of the state, as well as about thirty multipurpose flora species of trees and shrubs and over thirty-five ornamental plants which beautified the environs of Asante. These tree/shrub-crop-animal (hen/fish) components were intensively integrated spatially and/or sequentially on

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6696-510: The empire. Every metropolitan Asante state was headed by the Amanhene or paramount chief. Each of these paramount chiefs served as principal rulers of their own states, where they exerted executive, legislative and judicial powers. The Ohene is a male representative of his mother's family, where he is chosen from. The Ohene were divisional chiefs under the Amanhene. Their major function

6804-538: The empire. The council of elders undertook actions only after consulting a representative of the nmerante . Their views were taken seriously as they participated in decision-making in the empire. The current residence of the Asantehene is the Manhyia Palace built in 1925 by the British and presented to the Prempeh I as a present upon his return from exile. The original palace of the Asantehene in Kumasi

6912-650: The feasts of Dionysos , the umbrella was used, and in an old bas-relief, the same god is represented as descending ad inferos with a small umbrella in his hand. In the Panathenæa, the daughters of the Metics , or foreign residents, carried parasols over the heads of Athenian women as a mark of inferiority. During the Panathenaea , daughters of Metics carried the parasols of the Athenian maidens and this service

7020-434: The female or male line, and intercourse with a menstruating woman, rape of a married woman, and adultery with any of the wives of a chief or the King. Assaults or insults of a chief or the court or the King also carried capital punishment . Cursing the King, calling down powers to harm the King, is considered an unspeakable act and carries the weight of death . One who invokes another to commit such an act must pay

7128-429: The following legend: Jamadagni was a skilled bow shooter, and his devoted wife Renuka would always recover each of his arrows immediately. One time however, it took her a whole day to fetch the arrow, and she later blamed the heat of the sun for the delay. The angry Jamadagni shot an arrow at the sun. The sun begged for mercy and offered Renuka an umbrella. Jean Baptiste Tavernier , in his 17th century book "Voyage to

7236-407: The forest belt of Southern Ghana and established several Akan states: Ashanti , Brong-Ahafo , Assin -Denkyira- Fante Confederacy - Mankessim Kingdom (present-day Central region ), Akyem - Akwamu - Akuapem - Kwahu (present-day Eastern region and Greater Accra ), and Ahanta - Aowin - Sefwi - Wassa (present-day Western region ). Asante had a flourishing trade with other African states due to

7344-404: The handle of a cane). Umbrellas are available in a range of price and quality points, ranging from inexpensive, modest quality models sold at discount stores to expensive, finely made, designer-labeled models. Larger parasols capable of blocking the sun for several people are often used as fixed or semi-fixed devices, used with patio tables or other outdoor furniture , or as points of shade on

7452-495: The heate of the sunne from the upper parts of their bodies. In John Florio 's "A WORLD of Words" (1598), the Italian word Ombrella is translated a fan, a canopie. also a testern or cloth of state for a prince. also a kind of round fan or shadowing that they vse to ride with in sommer in Italy, a little shade. Also a bonegrace for a woman. Also the husk or cod of any seede or corne. also a broad spreding bunch, as of fenell, nill, or elder bloomes. In Randle Cotgrave 's Dictionary of

7560-438: The idea was probably derived from the tent , which remains in an unaltered form to the present day. However, the tradition existing in China is that it originated in standards and banners waving in the air, hence the use of the umbrella was often linked to high-ranking (though not necessarily royalty) in China. The use of umbrella as a social marker indicating and classifying the identities and social class of its users started by

7668-505: The kingdoms of Thunaparanta, Tampadipa, and all the great umbrella-wearing chiefs of the Eastern countries". The Royal Nine-Tiered Umbrella is one of the royal regalia of Thailand. The Bronze Age Dupljaja chariot , a ceramic sculpture found in Serbia dating from c. 1300 BC (attributed to the Dubovac culture ), depicts a male figure, interpreted as a solar deity, standing in a three-wheeled chariot with an attached parasol held above him. Parasols are first attested on pottery shards from

7776-629: The luxury of the user's lifestyle. During the period of their usage, Greek style was inspired by the Persian and Lydian nobility's way of dressing: loose robes, long decorated hair, gold, jewellery, and perfume. It also had religious significance. In the Scirophoria , the feast of Athene Sciras, a white parasol was borne by the priestesses of the goddess from the Acropolis to the Phalerus. In

7884-468: The major player in the gold trade. At the height of the Asante empire, the Asante people became wealthy through the trading of gold mined from their territory. Asante political organization was originally centred on clans headed by a paramount chief or O manhene . One particular clan, the Oyoko , settled in the Asante's sub-tropical forest region, establishing a centre at Kumasi . The Asante became tributaries of another Akan state, Denkyira but in

7992-447: The making and unmaking of war, and the distribution of land. Successful entrepreneurs who accumulated large wealth and men as well as distinguished themselves through heroic deeds were awarded social and political recognition by being called "Abirempon" or "Obirempon" which means big men. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries AD, the appellation "Abirempon" had formalized and politicized to embrace those who conducted trade from which

8100-593: The mid-17th century the Oyoko under Chief Oti Akenten started consolidating the Asante clans into a loose confederation against the Denkyira. The introduction of the Golden Stool ( Sika dwa ) was a means of centralization under Osei Tutu. According to legend, a meeting of all the clan heads of each of the Asante settlements was called just prior to declaring independence from Denkyira. Those included members from Nsuta, Mampong, Dwaben, Bekwai and Kokofu. In this meeting

8208-599: The option of joining the empire or becoming tributary states. Opoku Ware I , Osei Tutu's successor, extended the borders, embracing much of Ghana's territory. European contact with the Asante on the Gulf of Guinea coast region of Africa began in the 15th century. This led to trade in gold , ivory , slaves , and other goods with the Portuguese . On May 15, 1817, the Englishman Thomas Bowdich entered Kumasi. He remained there for several months,

8316-465: The parasol ( skiadeion , σκιάδειον), was an indispensable adjunct to a lady of fashion in the late 5th century BC. Aristophanes mentions it among the common articles of female use; they could apparently open and close. Pausanias describes a tomb near Triteia in Achaia decorated with a 4th-century BC painting ascribed to Nikias; it depicted the figure of a woman, "and by her stood a female slave, bearing

8424-403: The parasol appears frequently. Austen Henry Layard gives a picture of a bas-relief representing a king in his chariot, with an attendant holding a parasol over his head, dating from c. 710 BC. It has a curtain hanging down behind, but is otherwise exactly like those in use today. It is reserved exclusively for the monarch (who was bald), and is never carried over any other person. In Persia ,

8532-403: The parasol is repeatedly found in the carved work of Persepolis , and Sir John Malcolm has an article on the subject in his 1815 "History of Persia." In some sculptures, the figure of a king appears attended by a servant, who carries over his head an umbrella, complete with stretchers and runner. In other sculptures on the rock at Taghe-Bostan , supposed to be not less than twelve centuries old,

8640-608: The peculiar broad and deep canopy belonging to the large parasol of the Chinese Government officials, borne by native attendants. John Evelyn , in his Diary for 22 June 1664, mentions a collection of rarities shown to him by "Thompson", a Roman Catholic priest , sent by the Jesuits of Japan and China to France. Among the curiosities were "fans like those our ladies use, but much larger, and with long handles, strangely carved and filled with Chinese characters", which

8748-407: The people, he could possibly be impeached , and demoted to a commoner. The existence of aristocratic organizations and the council of elders is evidence of an oligarchic tendency in Asante political life. Though older men tended to monopolize political power, Asante instituted an organization of young men, the nmerante , that tended to democratize and liberalize the political process in

8856-546: The post- Wei period and continued up to the Ming dynasty . On at least one occasion, twenty-four umbrellas were carried before the emperor when he went out hunting. The umbrella served in this case as a defence against rain rather than sun. The Chinese and Japanese traditional parasol, often used near temples, remains similar to the original ancient Chinese design. The ancient book of Chinese ceremonies, called Zhou Li ( The Rites of Zhou ), dating some 2,400 years ago, directs that

8964-466: The powers he had as king; this includes Chief administrator, Judge, and Military Commander. The now previous king was dispossessed of the Stool, swords and other regalia which symbolized his office and authority. He also lost his position as custodian of the land. However, even if destooled from office, the king remained a member of the royal family from which he was elected. An impeachment occurred during

9072-533: The rain") did not enter the dictionary of the Académie française until 1718. Kersey's Dictionary (1708) describes an umbrella as a "screen commonly used by women to keep off rain". The first lightweight folding umbrella in Europe was introduced in 1710 by a Paris merchant named Jean Marius, whose shop was located near the barrier of Saint-Honoré. It could be opened and closed in the same way as modern umbrellas and weighed less than one kilogram. Marius received from

9180-577: The reign of Kusi Obodom , caused by a failed invasion of Dahomey . Okomfo Anokye was responsible for creating the Seventy-Seven Laws of Komfo Anokye which served as the codified constitution of the Ashanti Empire. The Asante state, in effect, was a theocracy . It invokes religious, rather than secular -legal postulates. What the modern state views as crimes , Ashanti view practically as sins . Antisocial acts disrespect

9288-493: The same stick, was permitted to the king alone; the nobles carried a single umbrella with painted cloths hanging from it. The Talapoins (who seem to have been a sort of Siamese monks) had umbrellas made of a palm-leaf cut and folded, so that the stem formed a handle. In 1855 the King of Burma directed a letter to the Marquis of Dalhousie in which he styles himself "His great, glorious, and most excellent Majesty, who reigns over

9396-431: The scorching heate of the sunne. These are made of leather, something answerable to the forme of a little cannopy, & hooped in the inside with divers little wooden hoopes that extend the umbrella in a pretty large compasse. They are used especially by horsemen, who carry them in their hands when they ride, fastening the end of the handle upon one of their thighs, and they impart so large a shadow unto them, that it keepeth

9504-543: The servant carrying an umbrella with a handle that slopes backwards, so as to bring the umbrella over the head of the person in front. It probably could not be closed, but otherwise it looks like an ordinary umbrella, and the ribs are represented distinctly. The use of the parasol and umbrella in France and England was adopted, probably from China, about the middle of the seventeenth century. At that period, pictorial representations of it are frequently found, some of which exhibit

9612-1019: The side of the cane opened the umbrella. Canopy (building) Architectural canopies include projections giving protection from the weather, or merely decoration. Such canopies are supported by the building to which they are attached and often also by a ground mounting provided by not less than two stanchions , or upright support posts. Canopies can also stand alone, such as a fabric covered gazebo or cabana . Fabric canopies can meet various design needs. Many modern fabrics are long-lasting, bright, easily cleaned, strong and flame-retardant. This material can be vinyl, acrylic, polyester or canvas. Modern frame materials offer high strength-to-weight ratios and corrosion resistance. The proper combination of these properties can result in safe, strong, economical and attractive products. Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Division 10 MasterFormat 2004 Edition: CSI MasterFormat 1995 Edition: Solar canopies are solar arrays installed on canopies, which could be

9720-408: The state chiefs and their ministers. The election of Kings and the Asantehene ( King of Kings or emperor ) himself followed a pattern. The senior female of the kingly lineage nominated the eligible males. This senior female then consulted the elders, male and female, of that line. The final candidate is then selected. That nomination was sent to a council of elders, who represented other lineages in

9828-562: The tomb of Wang Guang at Lelang Commandery in the Korean Peninsula . The Chinese collapsible umbrella may predate Wang's tomb, however. Zhou dynasty bronze castings of complex bronze socketed hinges with locking slides and bolts—which could have been used for parasols and umbrellas—were found in an archeological site of Luoyang , dated to the 6th century BC. A late Song dynasty Chinese divination book, Book of Physiognomical, Astrological and Ornithomantic Divination according to

9936-417: The trade of gold and agricultural exports as well as slave trading , craft work and trade with markets further north . The Asante Empire fought several wars with neighboring kingdoms and lesser organized groups such as the Fante . The Asante held their own against the British in the first two of the five Anglo-Ashanti Wars , killing British army general Sir Charles MacCarthy and keeping his skull as

10044-468: The truth is told. Moreover, that he favours or is hostile to either litigant is unthinkable. Cases with no witness, like sorcery or adultery are settled by ordeals, like drinking poison . Ancestor Veneration establishes the Asante moral system , and it provides the principal foundation for governmental sanctions. The link between mother and child centres the entire network, which includes ancestors and fellow men as well. Its judicial system emphasizes

10152-559: The twenty-four umbrellas." Simon de la Loubère, who was Envoy Extraordinary from the French King to the King of Siam in 1687 and 1688, wrote an account entitled a "New Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam", which was translated in 1693 into English. According to his account, the use of the umbrella was granted to only some of the subjects by the king. An umbrella with several circles, as if two or three umbrellas were fastened on

10260-406: The umbrella ( parapluie ) began to appear in the 1660s, when the fabric of parasols carried for protection against the sun was coated with wax. The inventory of the French royal court in 1763 mentioned "eleven parasols of taffeta in different colours" as well as "three parasols of waxed toile , decorated around the edges with lace of gold and silver". They were rare, and the word parapluie ("against

10368-458: The umbrella came to Rome from the Etruscans who came to Rome for protection, and certainly it appears not infrequently on Etruscan vases and pottery, as also on later gems and rubies. One gem, figured by Pacudius, shows an umbrella with a bent handle, sloping backwards. Strabo describes a sort of screen or umbrella worn by Spanish women, but this is not like a modern umbrella. By the fall of

10476-555: The umbrella was generally used throughout Egypt, partly as a mark of distinction, but more on account of its useful than its ornamental qualities. In some paintings on a temple wall, a parasol is held over the figure of a god carried in procession. The exact date when the Ashanti began using umbrellas is uncertain. However, in the 1800s, the Amanhene (senior chiefs) were using large multicolored umbrellas. Umbrellas were used during festivals as streets of Kumasi were paraded with them. Like

10584-479: The whole state benefited. The state rewarded entrepreneurs who attained such accomplishments with Mena (elephant tail) which was the "heraldic badge" Obirempon s had a fair amount of legislative power in their regions, more than the local nobles of Dahomey but less than the regional governors of the Oyo Empire. In addition to handling the region's administrative and economic matters, the obirempon also acted as

10692-462: Was King of the division of Kumasi, the nation's capital, and the Asante Empire. He was elected in the same manner as all other chiefs. In this hierarchical structure, every chief or King swore fealty to the one above him—from village and subdivision, to division, to the chief of Kumasi, and finally the Asantehene swore fealty to the State . The elders circumscribed the power of the Asantehene , and

10800-561: Was built by Fanti masons many years ago. The rooms upstairs remind me of Wardour Street. Each was a perfect Old Curiosity Shop. Books in many languages, Bohemian glass, clocks, silver plate, old furniture, Persian rugs, Kidderminster carpets, pictures and engravings, numberless chests and coffers. A sword bearing the inscription From Queen Victoria to the King of Ashantee. A copy of the Times, 17 October 1843. With these were many specimens of Moorish and Ashanti handicraft." This institution assisted

10908-550: Was burned down by the British in 1874. From European accounts, the edifice was massive and ornately built. In 1819, English traveler and author, Thomas Edward Bowdich described the palace complex as ...an immense building of a variety of oblong courts and regular squares [with] entablatures exuberantly adorned with bold fan and trellis work of Egyptian character. They have a suite of rooms over them, with small windows of wooden lattice, of intricate but regular carved work, and some have frames cased with thin gold. The squares have

11016-575: Was called sciadephoria (σκιαδηφορία). From Greece it is probable that the use of the parasol passed to Rome, where it seems to have been usually used by women, while it was the custom even for effeminate men to defend themselves from the heat by means of the Umbraculum , formed of skin or leather, and capable of being lowered at will. There are frequent references to the umbrella in the Roman Classics, and it appears that it was, not unlikely,

11124-542: Was covered with moist semi- deciduous forest whilst the Guinea savanna covered the northern part of the state. The Guinea Savanna consists of short deciduous and fire resistant trees. Riparian forests also occur along the Afram River and streams of the savanna zone. Soils in Asante were mainly of two types; forest ochrosols in the southern part of Asante whilst the savanna ochrosols were confined to northern part of

11232-529: Was enthroned on the sacred Golden Stool, the Sika 'dwa, an object that came to symbolise the very power of the King. Osei Kwadwo (r. 1764–1777) began the meritocratic system of appointing central officials according to their ability, rather than their birth. As King, the Asantehene held immense power in Asante, but did not enjoy absolute royal rule . He was obliged to share considerable legislative and executive powers with Asante's sophisticated bureaucracy. But

11340-465: Was firmly established in the church, seen as honorific and symbolic. The earliest visual record is an "8th century image of Bishop John of Pavia , showing him followed by a servant carrying an umbrella." The earliest known written evidence of the parasol is also from the 8th century, when Pope Paul I (757-767) bestowed a jeweled parasol to Pepin the Short as part of a peace settlement. A 1530 depiction

11448-464: Was impressed, and on his return to England wrote a book, Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee . His praise of the kingdom was disbelieved as it contradicted prevailing prejudices. Joseph Dupuis , the first British consul in Kumasi, arrived on March 23, 1820. Both Bowdich and Dupuis secured a treaty with the Asantehene, but the governor, Hope Smith, did not meet Ashanti expectations. From 1824 till 1899 there were five Anglo-Ashanti wars between

11556-456: Was the basic political unit in the empire. The family or lineage followed the village organization which was headed by the Odikro . All villages were then grouped together to form divisions headed by a divisional head called Ohene . The various divisions were politically grouped to form a state which was headed by an Omanhene or Amanhene . Finally, all Asante states formed the Asante Empire with

11664-438: Was to advise the Amanhene. The divisional chiefs were the highest order in various Asante state divisions. The divisions were made up of various villages put together. Examples of divisional chiefs included Krontihene, Nifahene, Benkumhene, Adontenhene and Kyidomhene. Each village in Asante had a chief called Odikro who was the owner of the village. The Odikro was responsible for the maintenance of law and order. He also served as

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