Six goldweights: animals ·  Ghana, Akan · ID: 3036291

Description

brass, with patina, two cattle (each with birds pecking vermins), two antelopes, one ram head and one porcupine, the latter missing two legs which surely had been removed on purpose in order to make the weight lighter;
concerning the porcupine there are various proverbs: “Asante are as the porcupine, if thousands are killed, thousand more will come”; “When the porcupine is going to visit a porcupine, he does not take any food with him” (When one kinsman visits another he will rely on the hospitality of his host).

The object Six goldweights: animals with the object ID 3036291 was last part of the auction 76th tribal art auction at March 22, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 357 achieved a sales price of EUR 250.

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Comparing literature

Graffenried von, Charlotte, Akan Goldgewichte im Bernischen Historischen Museum, Wabern-Bern 1990, p. 124