Kramo Bone Meaning: The Adinkra Warning Against Hypocrisy
AURYN Editorial
Kramo Bone is an Adinkra symbol whose name refers to "the bad Muslim". It is linked to a proverb usually translated as "the bad Muslim makes it difficult to recognise the good Muslim", and it is read as a warning against hypocrisy and deception: those who only pretend to be good make it harder to trust those who truly are.
The proverb in context
Muslim traders and scholars were an established presence in the Asante capital, Kumasi, and in Akan society more widely, so the figure of the kramo, the Muslim, was familiar. The proverb is not a judgement on a faith but on pretence; it could be applied to any community whose reputation suffers because of false members.
A symbol of discernment
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art is among the institutions that have documented this symbol. Its lesson is about discernment: look past appearances, and do not let the conduct of impostors define a whole group.
Kramo Bone in jewellery
A Kramo Bone design is a reminder to value sincerity, and to judge people by what they really are.
