Gold Weight: Mudfish
Unknown Artist
18th–19th century
Medium
Brass
Dimensions
Height 1-7/8 in.
Classification
Metal-Implements
Culture
Akan peoples
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Ernst Anspach, 1994
Accession Number
1994.312.20
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite brass *Gold Weight: Mudfish crafted by an unknown Akan artist in the 18th–19th century, exemplifies the of West African metalwork from present-day Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Standing just 1-7/8 inches tall, these diminutive sculptures were essential tools for the Akan peoples, who used them to measure gold dust—their primary currency in a thriving trade network. Produced via the sophisticated lost-wax casting technique each weight was a miniature masterpiece, balancing precision engineering with symbolic artistry. The mudfish form carries profound cultural weight, embodying resil...