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Asante

Goldweight with a Geometric Design

18th/19th century
Copper alloy
2 × 2.1 cm (0.8 × 0.8 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The relatively complex design of this gold weight consists of two comb-like elements on either end separated by a single diagonal raised line that covers a generous center section, producing separate matrices in which two circular elements are positioned. It is probable that the weight was originally square; however, the edges have been irregularly trimmed off to form a rough hexagon. Gold weights were used to measure gold dust, the local currency in the Akan-speaking regions of southern Ghana and the Ivory Coast between the 15th and the 20th centuries. The gold weights—made of a copper alloy—enabled merchants to carry out trade with towns of the West African Sahel, North Africa and later, with the Portuguese and the Dutch.

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