This fine example of a geometric gold weight exhibits good casting and a smooth surface patina.
Gold has long been at the heart of Akan culture. Cast by Akan goldsmiths, small gold weights (mrammou) were used to weigh gold dust - the currency of the Akan and potent symbol of ‘kra’ (life-force) - between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. The earliest weights used by the Akan were predominantly castings in a variety of geometric forms, from spheres to spirals and pyramids, reflecting the Islamic influence on the gold trade in this region prior to the arrival of the Portuguese.
Estimated Period: 17th Century
40 mm x 33 mm
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