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a picture of a red display case with a lot of small objects on it
GALERIE DE CHARTRES - GDC judiciaire - Mes GODY-BAUBAU, MAICHE, RIVIERE

541 - AKAN, Ghana/Ivory Coast.
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Estimate €200 - €300
Sale commission
Description
AKAN, Ghana/Ivory Coast. A significant collection of around seventy-seven copper-alloy weights used for weighing gold dust, comprising geometric weights and a few ‘proverb weights’. This collection illustrates the diversity of forms and meanings associated with these weights, which serve both as measuring instruments and as vehicles for symbolic expression within Akan culture. This collection of Akan weights invites us to rediscover the history of these weights, which were used to weigh gold dust during commercial transactions. From geometric weights to proverb weights, by examining their material composition and exploring their meanings. Among the Akan-speaking communities of the Gold Coast – which today corresponds to Ghana and part of Côte d’Ivoire – gold was the region’s primary currency from the 15th to the early 20th century. The instruments used in the gold trade were mainly cast from copper or brass alloys using the lost-wax casting technique. These included boxes for storing gold dust, scales for weighing, spoons and, above all, geometric weights used as counterweights for weighing gold, as well as figurative weights that refer to the daily life, proverbs and stories of the Akan people. From 1889 onwards, in an attempt to gain greater control over the region, the British colonial government set about replacing the gold-based currency with the pound sterling. With the decline of gold as legal tender, the Akan weights became obsolete as monetary instruments, but have remained a testament to Akan cultural heritage. Expert: Christian Hervé NJIENSI
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About the sale MODERN PAINTINGS – 20TH-CENTURY DECORATIVE ARTS – ARCHAEOLOGY – ASIAN ARTS – AFRICAN ARTS
Auction location
Auction time 10/18/2026 at 2:00 PM
Ref. : F0542 - 1
Lot description modified on 10/07/2026 at 3:43 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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