Cast bronze or brass Akan gold weights (mrammuo, singular abrammuo), originally used for weighing the currency of gold dust throughout Ghana and the Ivory Coast between 1400 and 1900, are micro-monuments– representing and cataloguing a whole inventory of Akan life through sophisticated artistry.
From geometric shapes, objects ‘cast from nature’, and the depictions of figures and animals, Akan gold weights come in a variety of forms. These forms were closely linked to the Akan verbal art of proverbs, reflecting Akan cultural and societal values.
Birds, as creatures that transcend boundaries, are a common motif on Akan gold weights, and relate to Akan proverbs.This Akan gold weight depicts three symmetrically positioned birds, all facing forward with elevated tail feathers.
Length: 4cm
References
The Metropolitan Museum, 'Gold Weight: Bird (Sankofa)'.
Susan Kloman and Arnold Syrop, West African Bronze Masterworks: The Syrop Collection
Pierluigi Peroni and Francesco Pachi, Micro-Monumentality: A Tribute to Miniature Works of African Art
(Click on images to enlarge)
