About This Object
- A gold weight in the shape of a human head. Attributed to the Akan people of the Côte d’Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, of Africa.
Purchased by Son Enterprises in 1972.
Curious Facts
From the 15th to the 19th century, the Akan people dominated gold mining and trading in Ghana and the Côte d’Ivoire and were among the most powerful groups in Africa. Figural weights like this one were used to measure the gold dust on scales for trade.