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Gold-weight

Akan

Artwork Details

Gold-weight
20th century
Akan
brass
15/16 x 5/8 x 3/16 in. (2.5 x 1.6 x 0.5 cm); ; ;
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
1997/1.474

Tags

Description

Subject Matter:

Figurative gold-weight in the form of a flat circular fan, called papa in Twi, the Akan language spoken in Ghana (cf. British Museum object number Af1947,13.245). Modelled after high status objects used by high ranking men and women, fans were often made of woven wicker frames, then decorated with luxurious textiles. These fans would have been used by attendants of elite men and women to keep them cool in the tropical environment of what is today Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire (cf. Sheales, African Goldweights, 2014). 

Physical Description:

Gold-weight in the shape of a circular disc decorated with an incised spiral, attached to a conical handle. 

Usage Rights:

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