Antique Cast Bronze African Tribal Rare Ashanti Akan Sancofa bird
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Fine Ashanti Antique (circa late 1800s), Cast Bronze Gold weight. From the old private collection of the internationally celebrated artist and ardent Africanist. This is a rare, museum quality authentic artifact (circa late 1800s) in a shape of a Sancofa bird . The item is about 2 " x 1" , in excellent antique condition. Ashanti gold weights are also named Mbramoo (sing. abramoo). This is an Ashanti gold weight, used in the measuring of gold and gold dust, which was mined and panned in great quantities along the West Coast of Africa, hence the name Gold Coast. Gold was used in the Ashanti kingdom, now known as Ghana, in trading with outsiders, making personal adornments, and as an internal currency. . Ashanti weights such as these have a variety of accoutrements such as boxes, spoons and balances used to hold or measure out gold dust. A full kit would include boxes, spoons, balance and around forty weights; this was known as a futoo and carried wrapped together in cloth. The futoo would then be put into a leather container or wooden box, or if the owner was a wealthy man, a cast-brass kuduo box. These boxes, full of gold dust, could be buried with their owners and dug up again if needed, or hidden in times of trouble. The weight itself is made of bronze or brass, which was obtained through trade in European imports from the late
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