Date: Circa late 19th to early 20th century
Geography: Ghana, West Africa
Culture: Akan (Ashanti)
Dimensions: 10cm H x 5cm W x 7cm D
Weight: 305g
Material: Bronze
Condition: Good, see photos
This large Ashanti goldweight depicts a figure playing a drum, and was made by the Akan people of present-day Ghana, West Africa. Cast in bronze using the traditional lost-wax method, it is a striking example of the region’s figurative metalwork, with a rich, aged patina and the textured surface typical of hand casting.
Goldweights, known locally as mrammuo, were used for weighing gold dust, which was the principal currency across much of the region before the introduction of colonial coinage. They played an important role in trade from around the 15th century until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Merchants kept sets of weights to ensure fair and accurate transactions, and as each weight was individually cast, many depicting people, animals, tools or scenes from everyday life, no two collections were exactly alike.
At 10cm tall and 305g, this is a notably large goldweight. While everyday market weights were usually small and light, larger and heavier figurative weights are often associated with chiefs and royal courts, where substantial quantities of gold were weighed.
The drummer reflects the importance of music and oral tradition in Akan society, where drums were used not only in celebration but also to send messages and recount history. Figurative goldweights often carried symbolic meanings linked to proverbs, historical events or social values, making them both practical trading tools and objects that communicated cultural knowledge and identity.
Owning a substantial collection of goldweights was associated with wealth, status and participation in commerce. Collections were passed down through generations and were sometimes given as wedding gifts, helping a groom establish himself within the merchant community. Today, Ashanti goldweights are valued for their craftsmanship and the insight they offer into the economic and cultural life of the Akan people.
As with all our antique pieces, this goldweight is one of a kind, and natural variations in patina, casting texture and minor surface wear should be expected as part of its authentic character and history. Dimensions and weight are approximate.
Read more
www.naturallycrafted.co.uk/blog/2026/8/6/the-history-of-ashanti-gold-weights
Date: Circa late 19th to early 20th century
Geography: Ghana, West Africa
Culture: Akan (Ashanti)
Dimensions: 10cm H x 5cm W x 7cm D
Weight: 305g
Material: Bronze
Condition: Good, see photos
This large Ashanti goldweight depicts a figure playing a drum, and was made by the Akan people of present-day Ghana, West Africa. Cast in bronze using the traditional lost-wax method, it is a striking example of the region’s figurative metalwork, with a rich, aged patina and the textured surface typical of hand casting.
Goldweights, known locally as mrammuo, were used for weighing gold dust, which was the principal currency across much of the region before the introduction of colonial coinage. They played an important role in trade from around the 15th century until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Merchants kept sets of weights to ensure fair and accurate transactions, and as each weight was individually cast, many depicting people, animals, tools or scenes from everyday life, no two collections were exactly alike.
At 10cm tall and 305g, this is a notably large goldweight. While everyday market weights were usually small and light, larger and heavier figurative weights are often associated with chiefs and royal courts, where substantial quantities of gold were weighed.
The drummer reflects the importance of music and oral tradition in Akan society, where drums were used not only in celebration but also to send messages and recount history. Figurative goldweights often carried symbolic meanings linked to proverbs, historical events or social values, making them both practical trading tools and objects that communicated cultural knowledge and identity.
Owning a substantial collection of goldweights was associated with wealth, status and participation in commerce. Collections were passed down through generations and were sometimes given as wedding gifts, helping a groom establish himself within the merchant community. Today, Ashanti goldweights are valued for their craftsmanship and the insight they offer into the economic and cultural life of the Akan people.
As with all our antique pieces, this goldweight is one of a kind, and natural variations in patina, casting texture and minor surface wear should be expected as part of its authentic character and history. Dimensions and weight are approximate.
Read more
www.naturallycrafted.co.uk/blog/2026/8/6/the-history-of-ashanti-gold-weights
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