Goldweight in the shape of a snake / Artist Unknown, African, Akan-Speaking Peoples, Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.504
- Title
- Goldweight in the shape of a snake
- 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
- 5.3 cm x 1.6 cm x 0.4 cm (2 1/16 in. x 5/8 in. x 3/16 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- goldweight
- Physical Description
- Goldweight in the shape of a coiling snake.
- Subject Matter
- An Asante proverb states, "The cobra that blocks the path is going his own way, yet people run away when they see him." According to some informants, this means that once you get a bad reputation, nobody will trust you even when you mean no harm.
- The link between the above proverb and the gold weight under consideration here is an example of the "oral-visual nexus" that pervades the cultures of the various Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Proverbs are indeed an important part of many Akan cultures, and the proper use of proverbs in speech is a crucial skill in order to be considered a serious or wise person. Yet the use and interpretation of a proverb depends not just on knowing its meaning, but on its relevance and particular nuance in the context of its use as well. The problem of ascribing a singular meaning becomes confounded in the case of gold weights or other objects embodying particular proverbs. In fact, the one-on-one relationship between a weight and a proverb is rare, especially in case of single-subject weights, such as this snake (detailed scenes involving two or more objects are often easier to link unambiguously to a particular proverb).
- Secondary Keywords
- africa (continent)
- animals and creatures
- geographic and political locations
- goldweights
- objects we use
- reptiles
- sculpture
- sculpture by subject type
- statues
- visual works
- visual works by medium or technique
- 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
- 175 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.504
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.504/1997_1.504.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1997-SL-1.504:1997_1.504.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Goldweight in the shape of a snake; 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-1.504/1997_1.504.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 23, 2024.
