Late 17 - mid 18 century. African bronze with a rich brown patina" refers to historical artwork produced in West Africa. In general, a rich, dark brown patina on African bronze indicate significant age The distinctive rich, dark brown surface is a product of both age and the specific materials and techniques used by the artists.
This is a rare, museum quality authentic artifact (circa late 1800s). This Ashanti Bronze Gold weight Figure depicting a Hare is a unique piece of African art. Lost Wax Method.
From the old private collection of the internationally celebrated artist and ardent Africanist.
Measures 2 1/2" x 1 3/4"
The bronze goldweights originate from Akan, Ghana. These were created over a period of 5 centuries -1400 - 1900's. They were used to weigh gold dust in the Southern parts of Ghana and in the neighboring parts of the Ivory Coast.
From the 17th century onwards, Akan goldsmiths created bronze weights representing human figures, animals, plants,
seeds and certain artefacts whereas previously they were abstract squares and triangular forms. They were used to weigh gold dust mined in the Akan forest and were made to the correct weight standards. Some of the figurines might look damaged - missing arms, legs or little pieces that is missing. These were removed to make the weight exactly the right weight.
Gold dust was used to trade with the northern countries, which included towns and settlements throughout the Sahara desert. These weights came in two series - · one based on the Islamic ounce used in trans-Sahara and the other on the "mithcal" of gold dust (± 4.5 grams) 1/6 of the Islamic ounce.
In the 1470's the Akan started trading gold with the Portuguese and the weights had to be standardized to the Portuguese weights.
In total the Akan had 4 different types of weights depending on the trading partner. After the 1600's the Dutch traders introduced a heavier troy ounce and once again the Akan created a new range of weights to accommodate the Dutch.
Most of the singular figurines represented Akan proverbs. They were also sent from one person to another as "messages". Many were made specifically for the King's treasuries.
Akan Ashanti goldweights (locally known as mrammou or abrammuo) are weights made of bronze used as a measuring system by the Akan Ashanti people of West Africa, particularly for weight and fair-trade arrangements with one another. The status of a man increased significantly if he owned a complete set of weights. Complete small sets of weights were gifts to newly wedded men. This insured that he would be able to enter the merchant trade respectably and successfully.
Many gold-weights, especially those representing animals, objects and people, are also associated with aphorisms or proverbs. In the past, proverbs were a source of incontrovertible ancestral wisdom and all chiefs, linguists and senior men and women were required to know many of them in order to be able to converse about difficult or distressing situations in allusive, metaphorical and oblique language.
Proverbs appear to have been used in many situations, but particularly in legal cases, disputes, policy discussions at courts or within senior village and family groups. Figurative gold-weight forms can represent a wide variety of inferior, superior and equal relationships between humans, humans and beasts or between these creatures and inanimate objects. Some gold-weights, however, depict protagonists in popular folktales.