Gold weight
Merchants used these copper alloy weights as a standard for weighing gold dust when trading. This weight, made before 1900, has an intricate design that was probably influenced by Asante proverb and tradition. This weight, made before 1900, is in the form of an antelope whose extended horns refer to the Asante proverb ‘If I had known my horns were to grow so long I might not have started.’ A visual pun that calls for thinking before acting and reflects the benefit of hindsight.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 68/1994/4
- Category
- Ethnography
- Collection Class
- Currency
- Collection Area Region
- W
- Material
- copper alloy (cast)
- Common Name
- gold weight
- Simple Name
- weight
- Production County
- South Ghana
- Production Country
- Ghana
- Production Year Low
- 1400
- Production Year High
- 1900
