File:Brooklyn Museum 88.192.88 Gold Weight.jpg
Original file (1,536 × 1,138 pixels, file size: 166 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)
Captions
English: Gold Weight ( ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Artist |
Unknown authorUnknown author |
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Title |
English: Gold Weight |
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Description |
English: Long rectangular-shaped weight with raised horizontal line that extends the length of rectangle, and short raised lines extending above and below this line, suggesting overall, a stylized swastika. CONDITION: Dirt and dust on surface.
English: Gold was extremely important in the economic and political life of the Akan kingdoms of southern Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Until the mid-nineteenth century, gold dust was the primary form of currency in the region. In order to measure precise amounts of gold, an elaborate system of weights, usually made of cast brass, developed by the seventeenth century. Gold weights took many forms: simple geometric shapes; animals, such as leopards or birds; objects, such as chairs or swords; and human figures. The figures, animals, and objects are often associated with proverbs. The sankofa bird, with head turned backward, represents the proverb “One must turn to the past to move forward.” |
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Date |
English: 19th-20th century |
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Dimensions | 1/4 x 3/8 x 1 in. (0.6 x 1 x 2.5 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Collection |
institution QS:P195,Q632682 |
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Current location |
Arts of Africa collection South Gallery, 1st Floor |
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Accession number | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Credit line | Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin H. Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes |
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Source/Photographer | Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum; Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 88.192.88_PS6.jpg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Permission (Reusing this file) |
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Brooklyn Museum
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Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
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current | 08:55, 2 November 2012 | 1,536 × 1,138 (166 KB) | Slick-o-bot (talk | contribs) | {{Artwork | Artist = {{unknown}} | Title = {{en|Gold Weight}} | Year = {{en|19th-20th century}} | Description = {{en|Long rectangular-shaped weight with raised horizontal line that extends the length of rec... |
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Date and time of data generation | 8 July 2011 |
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IIM version | 2 |