Ashanti gold weight; figurative, man playing pressure drum, bearded, flat head and torso
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Ghana
Verbatim coll. place:
Africa; Ghana, Ashanti
Culture or time period:
Ashanti
Materials:
Brass (alloy)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Drums (membranophones) and Gold-weights
Function:
7.3 Weights, Measures, and Computing Devices
Context of use:
Associated proverbs: "THere is no other way of passing on the language of the drum." "When the face of the drum is there to beat, you do not leave that to beat the side." Used during the gold dust currency trade which flourished on the Ivory Coast from the 1400's through the 1800's.
Department:
Africa (except Ancient Egypt)
Dimensions:
height 5 centimeters
Comment:
Notation on card: Verso; Drummer (?): “There is no other way of passing on the language of the drum.” “When the face of the drum is there to beat, you do not leave that to beat the side.”; PAHMA Storage Loc: V-28-4. Native name: abrammuo = goldweight