GOLDGEWICHTE AKAN GOLDWEIGHTS

Description

Before becoming independent in 1958, the West African region known as Ghana today was known as the “Gold Coast“. This is the region where the collection of weights to weigh gold from Bern Historical Museum originated. Weights for balances are miniatures of geometric and figurative forms, works of art made from brass, used for weighing which for centuries has been the motto of this region. The collection of the Department of Ethnography includes over 1,100 weight to weigh gold and accessories, including this publication presents a selection représentative.Ces small art objects, which are highly sought after today, were produced exclusively by Akan ethnic groups living in areas of present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast. The figurines of human subjects deserve particular interest because they show the life and customs of the royal courts and the rural population. The illustrations in the book include a catalog with 58 color plates and numerous documentaries figures of recent centuries. A comprehensive text addresses the history of Akan gold deposits and their exploitation as well as the production and the use of weights to weigh the or.Les stories often dramatic lives of the collectors, to whom the museum should its collections is of particular interest. The author, Dr. Charlotte von Graffenried is an ethnologist, president of the Swiss African Society and curator at the Historical Museum of Ethnology Department of Bern. “