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Goldweight Depicting a Pyramid

A work made of copper alloy.

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  • A work made of copper alloy.

Date:

19th/mid–20th century

Artist:

Asante or related Akan-speaking peoples
Ghana
Coastal West Africa

About this artwork

From the 15th through the 19th centuries, gold brought great prosperity and power through trade to the Akan and Akan-related people of southern Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. To regulate trade in gold, Akan merchants and rulers developed brass weights called abrammuo (singular mrammuo) that established standard units of measurement. The earliest and most common gold weights were cast in abstract, geometric forms. This weight is in the shape of a pyramid, symbolic of wealth, history, and longevity; with its stepped design it was also probably easy to grasp with the hand.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Asante

Title

Goldweight Depicting a Pyramid

Place

Ghana (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1800–1975

Medium

Copper alloy

Dimensions

1.6 × 1.5 × 2 cm (5/8 × 9/16 × 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Britt Family Collection

Reference Number

1978.888

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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