A crocodile with two heads sharing one stomach. A man climbing a palm tree. A bird looking backwards. These figures, each small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, were once working tools in the gold trade of the Akan kingdoms. Traders placed them on scales to weigh gold dust, the currency of the region. Today, Akan goldweights fill museum cases around the world, admired for their craftsmanship and the wisdom they carry.
Gold dust and lost-wax casting
In the Akan states of what is now Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, gold dust was used as currency for centuries. Every merchant needed accurate scales and weights to measure it. Goldweights, called abrammuo in Twi, are small brass or bronze objects made in standard weights. A trader would carry a set of them, along with scales, spoons and small boxes for gold dust.
The weights were made by lost-wax casting. A craftsman shaped a model in wax, covered it in clay and heated it so the wax melted away. Molten brass was then poured into the mould.
Geometric and figurative weights
Early weights were often geometric, with patterns of lines, spirals and shapes. These are among the oldest types. Later weights showed animals, people, tools, weapons and scenes from daily life. Many were linked to proverbs, making them a kind of portable wisdom. The two-headed crocodile with one stomach is often linked to a proverb about unity: though they have different heads, they share one stomach, so fighting over food makes no sense. Other figures warn against greed or praise patience.
Owning a fine set of weights showed wealth and standing. Weights were passed down in families.
Colonial change and museums
When colonial currencies replaced gold dust, the weights lost their economic use. Many were sold to collectors and museums. Large collections are held in museums in Europe and America, as well as in Ghana. Brass casters in towns such as Krofofrom near Kumasi continue to use lost-wax methods, making figures for tourists and collectors. Teachers use goldweights to introduce Akan proverbs and history to students.
Each goldweight was a tool for business and a lesson in wisdom at the same time. The trade in gold dust is gone, but the proverbs are still being cast in brass near Kumasi.
