Box for Gold Dust

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Culture Akan

Title Box for Gold Dust

Date 18th–20th century

Medium Brass

Dimensions Object: 3 7/8 × 1 1/4 × 1 5/8 in. (9.8 × 3.2 × 4.1 cm)
Overall: 3 7/8 × 1 1/4 × 1 5/8 in. (9.8 × 3.2 × 4.1 cm)

Credit Line Gift of Henry R. Hope, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.129

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About this Work

Gold dust and nuggets were the main currency among Akan peoples during pre-colonial times and were an important part of trade with North Africa. Boxes such as this example held gold dust, which was removed with spoons for weighing.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Box for Gold Dust | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.129