Goldweight with a Geometric Pattern

This rectangular gold weight is striking with its subtle trapezoid shape, gently rounded edges, and raised rectangle topped by three rectangular bars in reverse relief. Through simple geometrical means, this weight powerfully plays with positive and negative space. The patina on the face is two-toned; a yellow shade sharply contrasts with a deep brown, allowing for a varied response to light across its surface. Brass-cast 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 20th centuries. These gold weights—made of a copper alloy—thus enabled Akan merchants to trade with towns of the West African Sahel, North Africa, and later with the Europeans arriving on the coast in the late 15th century. Gold weights ceased being used at the beginning of the 20th century, when gold was replaced by bank notes and coinage. However, they continued to be made for sale to tourists.