Lot 86, Auction 4/20/2026: 8 Ghana Ashanti Brass Gold Dust Weights & Figurines

$260.00

In stock

West Africa, Ghana, Asante/Ashanti (Akan) culture, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A grouping of miniature brass goldweights and related ornaments depicting figurative and animal forms, including a fish or shark, two stools, a bird, a figure climbing a ladder, an erotic couple, a shield, and a small ungulate or aardvark-like creature. Cast using traditional lost-wax methods, such sculptures served as standardized weights for measuring gold dust in trade, while also communicating Akan proverbs, social roles, and moral lessons through their symbolic imagery. One small stool differs in material and function, made from a copper-silver alloy (approximately 39% silver) with suspension loops, suggesting use as a charm or pendant rather than a utilitarian weight. Size of erotic couple: 1.5″ W x 1.5″ H (3.8 cm x 3.8 cm)

Condition: Casting imperfections and pitting to brass, with patina and oxidation. Small stool is silver alloy, with a heavy green patina and oxidation.

Provenance: private Thousand Oaks, California, USA collection, acquired 1970s to 2000s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all purchases.

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