About this artwork
Trade—especially in gold—contributed to the development of the influential states and kingdoms of the Akan-speaking people of southern Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Before 1900 gold was both an item of trade and the region’s currency. Early weights were mostly geometric and non-representational and were standardized to the Islamic systems of measurement, whereas later ones were sometimes figurative and were made into metric units. Weights using geometric and abstract designs—such as this one, made in the shape of a pyramid— were common from the 15th through the 19th centuries.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Arts of Africa
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Culture
- Asante
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Title
- Goldweight with a Geometric Design
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Place
- Ghana (Object made in)
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Date
- 1800–1975
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Medium
- Copper alloy
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Dimensions
- H.: 1.1 cm (11 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of the Britt Family Collection
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Reference Number
- 1978.887
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
