Akan Gold Weights (Abremmuo) Collection – Asante Culture, Ghana – Cast Bronze – 11 Pieces

This 11-piece group of Akan gold weights (abremmuo) is attributed to the Asante cultural sphere of southern Ghana. Such weights were historically used to measure gold dust, the principal currency of Akan-speaking regions from the 15th to the 19th century. The present set includes both figurative examples—such as a chair and vessel forms—and geometric types, reflecting the dual aesthetic and symbolic vocabulary characteristic of Akan mercantile culture.

Each weight is solid cast in bronze or brass using the lost-wax process, the traditional method employed throughout West Africa for small-scale metalwork. The surfaces display consistent patination and handling wear commensurate with age and use. Sets of mixed figurative and geometric forms are particularly sought after by collectors for their documentary value and typological breadth within a single grouping.

Circa: 19th century - possibly earlier 

PROVENANCE Egon Guenther Collection.
Total weight: 195 g - Number of pieces: 11