Goldweight / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
Viewer
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.447
- Title
- Goldweight
- 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
- 6 cm x 0.9 cm x 0.7 cm (2 3/8 in. x 3/8 in. x 1/4 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight in the shape of a stylized plant, possibly part of a male inflorescence of the oil palm.
- Subject Matter
- Among the floral motifs found on the goldweights used by Akan-speaking peoples in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, representations of the oil palm are particularly common. The importance of these palm trees is not only evidenced by its frequent occurrence as a representational motif on weights and other media, but illustrated by proverbs as well. For example, "all plants may shed their leaves except the palm tree" highlights the exceptional nature of this tree. Proverbs such as this one can be used in a variety of different contexts, by different speakers, and to different ends; the same is true for the material forms inscribing these proverbs.
- Secondary Keywords
- africa (continent)
- buildings and the land
- geographic and political locations
- goldweights
- landscapes (environments)
- natural landscapes
- settlements and landscapes
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- 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
- 179 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.447
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.447/1997_1.447.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.447:1997_1.447.JPG
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- 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-1.447/1997_1.447.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 08, 2024.