Goldweight with a geometric pattern / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.422
- Title
- Goldweight with a geometric pattern
- 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
- 1.5 cm x 1.2 cm x 0.6 cm (9/16 in. x 1/2 in. x 1/4 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight in the shape of a rectangular base bearing three undecorated bars.
- Subject Matter
- The Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire have long used goldweights such as this one to weigh off the amount of gold dust required in a particular transaction. The Ivorian scholar Niangoran-Bouah has argued that the signs on Akan goldweights are a real writing system, based on 254 basic signs that can occur (alone or in combinations) on gold weights as well as many other media. In this example, the vertical bars might relate to a numerical sign (namely, 3).
- 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
- 105 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.422
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.422/1997_1.422.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.422:1997_1.422.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Goldweight with a geometric pattern; 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-1.422/1997_1.422.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 24, 2024.
