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

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About this Item

Record Details

Accession Number
1986/2.132
Title
Goldweight in the shape of a knife
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
4.9 cm x 0.6 cm x 0.4 cm (1 15/16 in. x 1/4 in. x 3/16 in.)
Primary Object Classification
Metalwork
Primary Object Type
goldweight
Physical Description
Goldweight in the shape of a knife, with a short handle set between two protrusions, giving way to a longer blade.
Subject Matter
Among the Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, gold dust was used as a form of currency until the end of the 19th century, and merchants used diverse kinds of weights to weigh out measures of gold dust. Among these gold weights, the representation of all kinds of weaponry is very common, especially knives, such as in this example. Knives were originally used as weapons and as instruments of the executioner, and were also frequently worn on cartridge belts. However, by the time knives and other weaponry became frequent forms for gold weights, they were no longer in active use for fighting or war activities.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
3888 x 2592
File Size
124 KB
Record
1986/2.132
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1986-sl-2.132/1986_2.132.jpg

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Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1986-SL-2.132:1986_2.132.JPG

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"Goldweight in the shape of a knife; 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-1986-sl-2.132/1986_2.132.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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