Goldweight in the shape of a chest / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.507
- Title
- Goldweight in the shape of a chest
- 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
- 4 cm x 3.1 cm x 1 cm (1 9/16 in. x 1 1/4 in. x 3/8 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight in the shape of a chest decorated with side-by-side "star" forms on the top and sides.
- Subject Matter
- Early historic records indicate that chiefs from the various coastal Akan states (in what are now Ghana and Côte d"ivoire) frequently requested ironbound coffers from their European trading partners. Kings and chiefs would use these chests to hold their gold dust; a particular kind of wooden chest was called "apemadaka", or "£ 1,000 (Pound Sterling) Chest" because it could hold 1,000 individually wrapped bundles of gold dust worth 1 English Pound. Chests and boxes like this one are not only a common motif for goldweights, but are represented on other objects as well, including actual gold dust boxes.
- Secondary Keywords
- africa (continent)
- biological components
- components
- components and systems
- components by specific context
- geographic and political locations
- goldweights
- the human body
- torsos
- 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
- 342 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.507
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.507/1997_1.507.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.507:1997_1.507.JPG
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- Full citation
-
"Goldweight in the shape of a chest; 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-1.507/1997_1.507.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 24, 2024.
