Ashanti gold weight. brass crocodile biting a mudfish; flat, raised circular shapes on back, four legs, broken tail. small. 33.6 grams
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Ghana
Verbatim coll. place:
Ghana, Ashanti
Culture or time period:
Ashanti
Collector:
Berta Bascom and William Russell Bascom
Materials:
Brass (alloy)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Gold-weights
Function:
7.3 Weights, Measures, and Computing Devices
Context of use:
Notation on card: Verso: Probverb: “If the mudfish in the stream grows fat, it does so to the advantaghe of the crocodile” (Kyerematen, Kolb 1) “ To survive you must sometimes accept heavey sacrifices (Kolb II)Used in W. Africa from 1400s to 1800s to measure gold, fro trade or ransom, as charms or amulets, in the observance of customs, and to send messages.
Department:
Africa (except Ancient Egypt)
Dimensions:
height 9 centimeters and width 0.5 centimeters
Comment:
PAHMA Storage Loc: 20A, V -28-6
Loans:
S1965-1966 #15: Oakland Public Museum (September 16, 1965–November 10, 1965)