April 23, 2024
ASHANTI AKAN - VINTAGE GOLD WEIGHT FROM GHANA, AFRICA - PRICE REDUCED 11/2011
Pricing & History
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THIS GOLD WEIGHT MEASURES 5/8 INCHES BY 5/8 BY 3/8 HIGH. THIS PIECE OF ETHNOGRAPHIC ART WAS CRAFTED IN THE LOST WAX PROCESS AND COLLECTED MID-CENTURY BY A PEACE CORPS EMPLOYEE. I WILL COMBINE ITEMS AND REFUND ANY EXCESS SHIPPING FEES FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS. Akan goldweights were used as a measuring system by the Akan people of West Africa , particularly for weighing gold dust which was currency until replaced by paper money and coins. They are referred to locally as mrammou and the weights are made of brass and not gold. Used to weigh gold and merchandise, at first glance the goldweights look like miniature models of everyday objects. Based on the Islamic ounce, each weight had a known measurement. This provided merchants with secure and fair-trade arrangements with one another. The status of a man increased significantly if he owned a complete set of weights. Complete small sets of weights were gifts to newly wedded men. This insured that he would be able to enter the merchant trade respectably and successfully. Beyond their practical application, the weights are miniature representations of West African culture items such as adinkra symbols , plants, animals and people. Meanings behind the weights Scholars use the weights, and the oral traditions behind the weights, to understand aspects of Akan culture that otherwise may
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