• Asante, Akan People, Ghana and Ivory Coast, Africa

• Bronze (copper alloy)

• 19th C.

• Goldweights: .5 in./1.25 cm, Assemblage: 5.25 × 1.5 × 3 h in. / 13 × 4 × 8h cm

Miniature bird sculptures created to weigh gold dust.

Weights, for the weighing of gold dust, of the Akan peoples of the former African Gold Coast were in use from about 1400 to 1900.

Before the 16th century, gold weights were mainly geometric in design. The "newer" representational weights were intended for practical use as prestige weights and usually were symbols of Akan proverbs. ie., a snake does not bite a man without a cause (de Kolb, 1970)

Goldweights were made from copper alloys using the lost wax technique (also called "cire perdue" or "lost mold").

In 1899 the use of gold dust as a means of payment was banned in Ghana by the British.

Domestic shipping included. International shipping is quoted separately.

Inquire | Sign up to get our emails