Goldweight [Three Cannons On One Base] 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have an Akan goldweight sculpture made of brass, depicting three cannons mounted on a single base, dating from the 19th to 20th century. There is a fragile power in such a tiny object…What secrets do you think this little object holds, if any? Curator: Secrets indeed. Think about it, the Akan people, masterful goldsmiths. They needed precise weights to measure gold dust, their currency! But these goldweights, they were more than just tools. This particular one is a tiny pronouncement! Cannons representing power and trade relations...Imagine each carefully sculpted curve whispering stories of diplomacy and, perhaps, looming conflict. And the choice of brass? A metal gleaming like gold, yet bearing its own distinct history. Editor: So, the imagery connects directly to the culture. But what strikes me is the decision to feature weaponry in something as commercial as a goldweight. Is that incongruous? Curator: Perhaps...or profoundly insightful? What does it say that their currency is connected to the very instruments of power, war and colonialism? It forces you to think... were these goldweights also philosophical objects, acting as a commentary on power? Editor: That's intense! It almost seems as if the artist had a grim sense of humor. Curator: Maybe. Or it could just be an inevitable, unavoidable, and very inconvenient truth rendered beautifully, boldly, and ever so cleverly into miniature. So, what has this little weight shown you? Editor: Well, I am now seeing that art can be about everyday transactions and contain sharp political observations. That even something small can hold big ideas. Curator: Exactly! Now you're speaking the weight of truth!