Art Institute of Chicago

Goldweight with a Geometric Design

Asante or related Akan-speaking peoples

Date

18th/19th century

Medium

Copper alloy

Culture

Ghana

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Brass-cast gold weights were used to measure gold dust, the local currency in the Akan-speaking regions of southern Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire between the 15th and 20th centuries. Made of a copper alloy, the gold weights enabled merchants to trade with towns in the Sahel region and North Africa and later with the Portuguese and the Dutch. The designs of gold weights are incredibly diverse, from simple geometries to designs referencing local proverbs. When gold weights fell out of use in the 20th century—gold was replaced by bank notes and coinage—artisans continued to make them for the tourist market. This weight shows signs of extensive wear and use, suggesting that it may be from an early period, probably some time between 1500 and 1720. Its design consists of two concentric squares and a singular lattice form placed prominently in the center.

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