Goldweight in the shape of three cannons / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.506
- Title
- Goldweight in the shape of three cannons
- 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
- 2.3 cm x 1.4 cm x 1.1 cm (7/8 in. x 9/16 in. x 7/16 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight in the shape of a bundle of three cannons.
- Subject Matter
- Akan goldweights can be categorized into two broad groups, namely geometric or abstract weights on the one hand, and figurative weights on the other. This weight, representing a bundle of cannons, falls in the latter group. Military motifs, such as cannons, swords, war-horns, warriors, and shields, are in fact very common in the "Early Period" of representative weights, starting from the 17th century onwards. These military motifs seem to have had the definite purpose of indicating the power and strength of the state, and they may have been made largely for chiefs' courts. Cannons, in particular, were often modeled in weights and used to represent the superior military strategy with which Akan nations in what are now Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire defeated European armies that had superior arms.
- Secondary Keywords
- africa (continent)
- firearms
- geographic and political locations
- goldweights
- objects we use
- projectile weapons
- projectile weapons with explosive propellant
- small arms
- small arms by form
- weapons
- weapons and ammunition
- 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
- 151 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.506
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.506/1997_1.506.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.506:1997_1.506.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Goldweight in the shape of three cannons; 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-1.506/1997_1.506.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 23, 2024.
