balance for gold dust, unrecorded Asante artist

Artwork Overview

unrecorded Asante artist, balance for gold dust
unrecorded Asante artist, balance for gold dust
unrecorded Asante artist
balance for gold dust
late 1800s–early 1900s
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.