Gold Weight (abrammuo): Geometric

1800s
Location: not on view
Public Domain
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Geometric weights like this are the earliest form of these small, functional objects.

Description

The wealth and power of the Asante kingdom was derived primarily from its massive gold resources. Since at least 1600, small weights in brass and bronze were used to weight gold dust and nuggets. The royal court had the most elaborate store of weights, while commoners often had about a dozen. Their imagery falls into two broad cateogries: geometric and representational. The latter often refers to proverbs, which used judiciously, marked a wise person.
Gold Weight (abrammuo): Geometric

Gold Weight (abrammuo): Geometric

1800s

Africa, West Africa, Ghana, Asante goldsmith

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