Gold-weight
Akan
Description
Subject Matter:
Figurative gold-weight in the form of a standing man wearing a loin cloth and wielding a hoe against a large object. Around the 18th century figurative gold-weights began to appear, many depicting everyday activities, as this one does (cf. Sheales, African Goldweights, 2014). A related proverb states: 'If you go and take someone’s hoe and work with it, wash it and take it back to where it belongs' (cf. British Museum object number Af1922,1027.310). This gold-weight may also allude to the proverb 'If your mother dies, the source of your family is damaged', which refers to the matrilineal aspect of many Akan-speaking peoples as well as the association between the hoe and cemeteries (cf. Niangoran-Bouah, The Akan World of Gold Weights, 1987, Vol. III, pp. 240-241).
Physical Description:
Gold-weight in the shape of a standing human figure holding a curved tool against a large, round object, sitting on a flat, square base.
Usage Rights:
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