Weight Akan
Akan · West Africa
Reference: PGM-59
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- Height
- 1 cm
- Material
- African Bronze
Small metal block with approximately quadrangular contours, with a central panel decorated by crossed lines and an edge of alternating highlights with inlets. The surface features…
Provisional editorial description. See the study and the checks still outstanding below.
Enquire about this objectFull original description
The source record does not contain usable historical text. Its full contents are preserved in the private archive for review.
Further technical information
- Width
- 4 cm
- Attributed period
- Century XIX or earlier.
- Recorded weight
- 169 g
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Editorial study and sources
Editorial study of the collection · November 1, 2026. The original record is kept in the documentary archive.
Small metal block with approximately quadrangular contours, with a central panel decorated by crossed lines and an edge of alternating highlights with inlets. The surface features brown and golden tones and relief differences that make geometric design visible.
The file lists it as akan weight. The abstract form is compatible with the geometric weights used in the gold dust weighing systems of Ghana and Ivory Coast. The Metropolitan Museum documents these instruments, usually made of copper alloys, together with scales, boxes and weighing spoons.
the attribution akan is preserved as data from the catalogue. The photograph does not allow checking the composition of the alloy, the effective weight, the historical calibration or the dating of this specimen. No specific meaning is assigned to the central motive.
Sources for context and comparison
- The Met: Geometric gold weight, 1994.312.2 ↗
Contexto de las pesas geométricas akan y del pesaje de polvo de oro.
Country on the map
West Africa. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
