Goldweight / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.403
- Title
- Goldweight
- Artist Nationality
- Ghanaian
- Medium and Support
- brass
- Object Creation Date
- 1900-1985
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Ghana (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Ghana (nation)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
- Dimensions
- 2 cm x 2.1 cm x 2.5 cm (13/16 in. x 13/16 in. x 1 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight in the shape of a solid pyramid, with a small piece of rope attached to the hole on top.
- Subject Matter
- Among Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, goldweights were widely used as instruments of the gold trade that was carried out between the 15th and 19th centuries. However, some of the weights might have had other uses besides trade. Some were used as protective devices or amulets, to bring good health or good fortune to people, or to protect them from harm. The small loop on top of this weight, with part of a rope attached to it, suggests that it might have been used as such an amulet.
- Secondary Keywords
- africa (continent)
- associated concepts
- geographic and political locations
- geometric concepts
- geometric figures
- goldweights
- mathematical concepts
- people and culture
- polyhedra
- scientific concepts
- solids (geometric)
- 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
- 251 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.403
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.403/1997_1.403.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.403:1997_1.403.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Goldweight; 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-1.403/1997_1.403.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.