The implications made by the mapmaker is that money equals power. For European monarchs, ostentatious displays of wealth were a means by which power and influence could be demonstrated. For the mapmaker, Mansa Musa's wealth is what makes him and his cities a source of power. One wonders if those perceptions of the king of Mali would be the same had he not been considered one of the richest men alive.
Well said, Ian! This map is a perfect representation of the European obsession with gold and glory (and God, but not necessarily where Mansa Musa is concerned). Mansa Musa is depicted respectfully; from the gold leaf to the upright posture and impressive beard, this is a celebration of his wealth and power. But also, as French wrote, it put him and the Empire of Mali on the map as a target. Europeans wanted what Mansa Musa had.
Accentuating this attention to wealth, it seemed to me, was the way that the gazes of the depicted figures ostensibly converge upon the gold in Mansa Musa's right hand. Not only does he regard it, and the Tuareg visitor, but the other kingly figures depicted in the North of Africa seem to have their gazes pointing in that direction, too, no?
Hi Ian I agree when you said "The implications made by the mapmaker is that money equals power". Unfortunately, this is true even now. Rich men like to flaunt what they have. This map is another way of flaunting it. I feel like the map also is a way to show the power/ great achievements in those areas.
Yes, Ian, money equals power! I think that early depictions of Africans were more humanistic than later depictions, so I think whether or not Mansa Musa had riches, he would have been depicted as more of a human. I think the dehumanization of Africans in cartography came with the spread of slavery and the need to justify the enslavement of non-humans.