This charming zoomorphic sculpture is a gold-
weight made by the Akan peoples of what was
once appositely named the Gold Coast – now
Ghana. The Akan are a loose assemblage of
tribes that share general cultural trends while
maintaining separate tribal identities. Their
society is highly ritualised, with a main deity, and
a host of lesser gods that are connected with the
natural world. The society is ruled by
Asantahenes, and a host of minor chiefs. The
Akan attracted colonial attention from
Europeans, then Islamic groups, due to the long
history of gold mining and working in the area,
which has been taking place for at least 600
years. The Akan consider gold to be the
embodiment of sunlight and a physical
manifestation of life’s vital force, or “kra”. It
underpins the economy, and is used for the
manufacture of royal regalia and many aspects of
elite life. Weights such as this were used to
weigh and trade gold with caravans that came to
the area.
- (SP.104 (LSO))
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