**Originally Listed At $300**

West Africa, Ghana, Ashanti people, ca. 19th to mid-20th century CE. A collection of brass weights for measuring gold and a lidded box for storing precious gold dust! Gold was an important part of Ashanti culture, and many types of brass paraphernalia were created for handling the precious material - gold dust was used as currency for most transactions or to settle disputes. Brass weights, known as abramo, were often cast using the lost wax method into symbols that represented people, animals or concepts / aphorisms known as Adinkra. One weight here is shaped like a lizard, and the other has spirals with a bird at the center. Gold dust was then carefully stored in brass boxes - such as this example and wrapped in cloth for safekeeping. Size of box: 2.125" L x 1.125" W x 0.75" H (5.4 cm x 2.9 cm x 1.9 cm)

Provenance: private Matrisciano collection, Thousand Oaks, California, USA, before 2002

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#176240

Loss to spiral on weight w/ bird, bending and area of green patina. Softening and rubbing to lizard weight, chips and abrasions. Perforations through body of box and green patina on lid. Dark toning / patina throughout.