Goldweight with geometric pattern / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.480
- Title
- Goldweight with geometric pattern
- Artist Nationality
- Ghanaian
- Medium and Support
- brass
- Object Creation Date
- 1900-1985
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Akan (historical region)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Akan (historical region)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
- Dimensions
- 2.2 cm x 2.3 cm x 1.1 cm (7/8 in. x 7/8 in. x 7/16 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight with a square base bearing a geometric pattern of a solid, undecorated "X" form encased in a solid, undecorated square with two small protrusions in the middle of two of its sides.
- Subject Matter
- Goldweights 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. These geometric patterns could occur in a variety of shapes: as cast weights with engravings, weights in the shape of geometric forms, and as solid or hollowed-out bases for graphic signs. According to these formal criteria, the weight under consideration here is an example of a solid base bearing the shape of a cross, consisting of thick, solid lines that do not bear any particular markings. Note that the formal characterization of the weight in these terms does not address the matter of the possible meaning or interpretation of this particular form-- which in any case remains unknown.
- Secondary Keywords
- africa (continent)
- descriptors
- design elements
- geographic and political locations
- goldweights
- motifs
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 3888 x 2592
- File Size
- 149 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.480
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.480/1997_1.480.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.480:1997_1.480.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Goldweight with geometric pattern; Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.480/1997_1.480.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 18, 2024.
