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): 1.5 x 1.3 cm
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 0 1/2 x 0 9/16 in
Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Kenneth Palmer
Accession number: 2007.3391.30
On display: Loo Gallery
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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.