Accession Number
1997/1.457

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 1/4 in x 1/8 in (3.9 cm x 0.6 cm x 0.3 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

Subject matter
Figurative gold-weight in the shape of a wisdom knot, possibly an amulet (safi/sebe) known as nyan sapo in Twi, the language spoken by Akan peoples in Ghana (cf. British Museum object number Af1900,0513.91). This kind of knot, called a reef knot, traditionally represents wisdom and are examples of artistic skill as they are tied in wax and then cast in brass (Phillips, African Goldweights, 2010, p. 154). A proverb commonly associated with this gold-weight states: "If you're weaving and the thread gets tangled, you use both hands to untie it", meaning that even a wise man needs another's help to solve a problem (cf. Garrard, Akan Weights and the Gold Trade, 1980, p. 210). 

Physical Description
Gold-weight in the shape of two pieces of rope bound at both ends with a knot in the middle. 

Primary Object Classification
Metalwork

Primary Object Type
goldweight

Collection Area
African

Rights
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Keywords
goldweights
knots (motifs)
measuring
miniature (size attribute)
weighing devices
wisdom