Shield, Akan Gold Weight, Ghana, 19th century
date: label: date made
content: 19th century
notes: label: Description
content: These brass weights were used by the Akan people of modern day Ghana and the Ivory Coast for measuring gold dust between the late thirteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were cast into geometric shapes and figures of animals and people. These weights set a standard for measuring gold dust and made it easier to use gold dust as currency. The weights’ varied forms reflect Akan culture as well as cultural interaction between West African, North African, and European traders over five centuries.
place: label: place used
content: Ghana
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: West African Currency
label: Exhibition
content: Value of Money
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Feingold, Ellen R.. Value of Money, The
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: National Museum of African Art
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0797.1
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0797.1
label: accession number
content: 1985.0797
objectType: label: Object Name
content: weight
label: Other Terms
content: weight; Africa; Ghana, Akan
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal, (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass/gray (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: cast (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4.9 cm x 3.85 cm x 1.6 cm; 1 15/16 in x 1 17/32 in x 5/8 in