Gold-weight

Accession Number
1997/1.367

Title
Gold-weight

Artist(s)
Akan

Artist Nationality
Akan (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
20th century

Medium & Support
brass

Dimensions
1 9/16 in x 3/16 in x 1/4 in (3.9 cm x 0.5 cm x 0.7 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

Subject matter
Gold-weight in a comb-like geometric design. See: T. Phillips, African Goldweights: Miniature Sculptures from Ghana 1400-1900, pp.87-88

Geometric gold-weights often bear decorations and symbols similar to designs in other media created by Akan-speaking peoples, such as stamped cloth (adinkra). Similar patterns on different media show the relationship between form, ornamentation, and function. For example, adampan, the open-fronted verandas that were used to conduct business, link gold-weights and wall murals to a shared economic transactional context.
See: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/online_research_catalogues/agw/african_gold-weights.aspx
Sheales, Fiona, African Goldweights, London, BMP, 2014

Physical Description
Gold-weight in the shape of a rectangular bar with a shallow dip on the front surrounded by small engraved vertical lines.

Primary Object Classification
Metalwork

Primary Object Type
goldweight

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
goldweights
measuring
measuring devices (instruments)
miniature (size attribute)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted