Goldweight in a geometric shape / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.382
- Title
- Goldweight in a geometric shape
- 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
- 1.6 cm x 1.2 cm x 1 cm (5/8 in. x 1/2 in. x 3/8 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight in the shape of a solid rectangle with a geometric pattern of lines and incisions along its four long sides and an incised "X" form on the two short sides.
- Subject Matter
- The Akan casters who were responsible for casting gold weights and other cast brass objects had achieved great technical skills; indeed, contemporary master casters from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire still produce cast brass work of great technical mastery. As an example of the casters' masterful technical abilities, Niangoran-Bouah, a specialist on Akan gold weights, points to examples such as the one under consideration here. He argues that the profiles of certain weights give a design that can also be found, by way of projection, as a distinct sign on other weights. In other words, the brass casters were able to cast the characteristic Akan geometric signs both in front and in profile, which points to very long experience and indigenous experimentation with their material.
- 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
- 140 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.382
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.382/1997_1.382.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.382:1997_1.382.JPG
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- Full citation
-
"Goldweight in a geometric shape; 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-1.382/1997_1.382.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 25, 2024.
