Goldweight in the shape of a coiled rope / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire

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Record Details

Accession Number
1997/1.502
Title
Goldweight in the shape of a coiled rope
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)
Dimensions
5 cm x 1.1 cm x 0.2 cm (1 15/16 in. x 7/16 in. x 1/16 in.)
Century
20th century
Primary Object Classification
Metalwork
Primary Object Type
goldweight
Physical Description
Goldweight in the shape of a coiled rope, tied together at the middle.
Subject Matter
The representation of a coiled rope or knot is common among the goldweights used and produced by Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. There are various proverbs associated with knots and tied ropes, which all refer to the theme of wisdom. For example, "Only the wise can untie it" and "The knot tied by a wise man cannot be untied by a fool" both refer to the difference in position or value between a person possessing greater knowledge versus a less knowledgeable person. The precise interpretation of such a proverb, and of the gold weight expressing it, depends on the context of its use. For example, such a gold weight might by a story teller to illustrate a point of the story, or by a king to mark a special occasion, or by a ruler to send a symbolic message to another chief-- in all these cases, the one goldweight might be accompanied by one or more others, and its interpretation would depend on the associations with the other weights and their proverbs. Finally, goldweights might be used by traders to weigh goldpowder used in payments for goods-- in that case, the particular "proverbial" meaning of a weight might not have been relevant at all.
Primary Keywords
ghana (nation)
rope
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
3888 x 2592
File Size
131 KB
Record
1997/1.502
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.502/1997_1.502.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.502:1997_1.502.JPG

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"Goldweight in the shape of a coiled rope; 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-1.502/1997_1.502.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.
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