Goldweight
| Culture | Asante |
|---|---|
| Title | Goldweight |
| Date | 19th–20th century |
| Medium | Brass |
| Dimensions | Object: 5/16 × 1 5/8 × 13/16 in. (0.8 × 4.1 × 2.1 cm) Overall: 5/16 × 1 5/8 × 13/16 in. (0.8 × 4.1 × 2.1 cm) |
| Credit Line | Anonymous Gift, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 86.20.2 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
Gold dust and nuggets were the main currency among Asante peoples during pre-colonial times and were an important part of trade with North Africa. The gold was weighed on simple balance scales with brass weights put on one of the pans. These weights range from simple geometric forms to depictions of people, animals, objects associated with every day and ritual life, and local flora and fauna, many of which are also associated with proverbs and aphorisms.
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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Cite this page
"Goldweight | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=86.20.2