weight, unrecorded Asante artist

Artwork Overview

unrecorded Asante artist, weight
unrecorded Asante artist, weight
unrecorded Asante artist
weight
late 1800s–early 1900s
weight, late 1800s–early 1900s
Where object was made: Ghana
Material/technique: brass
Dimensions:
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 3.2 x 2.7 cm
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 1 1/16 x 1 1/4 in
Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Kenneth Palmer
Accession number: 2007.3391.03
On display: Loo Gallery
Add to portfolio

If you wish to reproduce this image, please submit an image request

Images

Label texts

Archive label for Palmer collection exhibit, date unknown: Called "gold weights", these small weights were cast of brass and used to weight gold dust; dust was placed on pan of the scale with a spoon, and weights were placed on the other pan until balanced. Gold weights were cast into a great variety of forms: geometric, zoomorphic, anthropomorphic, and genre scenes. Their symbolism or actual depictions illustrated proverbs, represented various gods, showed scenes and activities from daily life, and even told jokes, both on- and off-color.