Although often associated with the Asante, who are the most well-known of the Akan peoples, weights for measuring gold dust have a long history throughout Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. For over five centuries, from around 1400 to 1900, Akan smiths crafted a diverse range of these weights. Their small size made them easy to carry and trade.
Each weight was created individually using the lost-wax casting method, resulting in unique pieces that still needed to meet specific weight requirements to be effective. Interestingly, the shape of a weight didn’t correspond to a standard unit of measure; for instance, a porcupine figure in one set could weigh the same as an antelope in another, or even a geometric shape in a different collection.
During significant transactions, gold dust would be placed on one side of a small balance scale, with a weight on the other. Each party involved would use their own weights to confirm the amount of gold dust being exchanged.
Visually, these weights fall into two main categories: geometric and figurative. They are also stylistically divided into two periods: early (c. 1400-1700) and late (c. 1700-1900). The object in question is an early-period geometric weight. Most early weights feature geometric designs with notched or indented edges, incised surfaces, punch marks, and even inset copper plugs.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the site!
Elusive: How Enyimba Ended Nigeria's 39-year Wait for Champions League Glory
$19.50 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President
$12.58 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President
$14.99 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Mansa Musa: A Captivating Guide to the Emperor of the Islamic Mali Empire in West Africa and How He Developed Timbuktu into a Major Center for Trade (Western Africa)
$13.59 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Women's Liberation and the African Freedom Struggle
$4.66 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War
$5.59 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Operation Certain Death: The Inside Story of the SAS’s Greatest Battle
$31.76 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Motherland: A Journey through 500,000 Years of African Culture and Identity
$28.31 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route
$2.99 (as of December 19, 2025 04:58 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)