balance for gold dust

unrecorded Asante artist, artist

balance for gold dust, late 1800s–early 1900s

Where object was made: Ghana

Material/technique: string; brass

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 23.5 x 15 x 5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 9 1/4 x 5 7/8 x 1 15/16 in

Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Kenneth Palmer

Accession number: 2007.3391.01

On display: Loo Gallery

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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.