# Goldweight with a Geometric Design

- By: Asante (Ghana; Coastal West Africa)
- Date: 18th-19th century
- Medium: Copper alloy
- Classification: Decorative Arts
- Dimensions: 1 × 1.8 × 2.1 cm (3/8 × 11/16 × 13/16 in.)
- Culture: Ghana
- Credit line: Gift of the Britt Family Collection
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/54039)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/83119b96-fd06-18ea-137e-59a00a7aac34/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Brass-cast gold weights were used to measure gold dust, the local currency in the Akan-speaking regions of southern Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire between the 15th and 20th centuries. Made of a copper alloy, the gold weights enabled merchants to trade with towns in the Sahel region and North Africa and later with the Portuguese and the Dutch.

The designs of gold weights are incredibly diverse, from simple geometries to designs referencing local proverbs. This small, square weight has a relatively tall base and consists of a raised abstract rectangle with four linear pieces removed. While interpretations of such abstract patterns are speculative, some do have parallels in architecture and textile design.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0