Accession Number
1997/1.411

Title
Gold-weight

Artist(s)
Akan

Artist Nationality
Akan (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1900-1985

Medium & Support
brass

Dimensions
1 1/4 in x 15/16 in x 3/8 in (3.1 cm x 2.4 cm x 1 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

Subject matter
Gold-weights have long been used and produced by the Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Many weights show patterns consisting of spirals, circles, waves, zigzag lines, bars, comb-shapes, bows, or crosses. Scholars differ in their interpretation of these geometric weights. Most argue that the similarities between Akan gold-weights and their Roman and Islamic counterparts indicate that Akan-speaking peoples adapted weight forms from their North African trading partners for their own use in the context of the gold trade. Other scholars maintain that the graphic patterns on Akan gold-weights represent a symbolic language of indigenous origin. Following this interpretation, the gold-weight under consideration here would show symbol of conception (the spiral and half-circle next to it) as well as a double crescent of the moon, pointing up and down (the other half-circles).

Physical Description
Gold-weight in the shape of a square base with three raised arches bisected by vertical lines surrounding a central spiral. On two sides there is a row of six raised notches. 

Primary Object Classification
Metalwork

Primary Object Type
goldweight

Collection Area
African

Rights
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Keywords
goldweights
measuring
miniature (size attribute)
weighing devices