Goldweight [Cluster of Seeds] 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have a brass sculpture titled "Goldweight [Cluster of Seeds]" created by Akan artists sometime in the 19th or 20th century. It's a tiny, spiky, almost abstract form. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Well, I find the material itself incredibly compelling. Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, wasn’t just lying around. The Akan people had to mine, smelt, and cast it, requiring a sophisticated understanding of metallurgy. Do you see how this seemingly simple object tells a story of labor and resources? Editor: Absolutely, now that you mention it. It’s easy to overlook the sheer amount of work involved in something this small. Was brass readily available in this region? Curator: That’s a great question. Access to, and control of, raw materials was hugely important, dictating social power dynamics. Consider the cultural significance assigned to gold; how it permeates West African history through its use in trade. And then imagine brass as an intentional substitute. This substitution would also tell us something about social stratification. Editor: So, in a way, even the material itself can be seen as a commentary on wealth and access? It prompts you to think about not just the art object, but the economic system surrounding its production. Curator: Precisely! This shifts the focus away from the object as solely aesthetic to consider how it functions within a system of trade, social relations, and belief systems. Does that connection between material and social structure reshape how you interpret its form as a “cluster of seeds?” Editor: It definitely does. Seeing it as "goldweight" made of brass really roots it in the practical world. Thanks, I never thought of appreciating it in that manner! Curator: Of course. It really shows how artworks aren’t created in a vacuum, they emerge from very concrete circumstances of production.