Goldweight [Ladder] 19th-20th century

Curator: Here we have a brass goldweight from the Akan people, likely crafted sometime between the 19th and 20th centuries. It's shaped like a simple ladder. Editor: My first impression is its compact rawness. You can clearly see the texture of the metal, with an almost worn feel. It appears deceptively weighty and has some irregular form in its geometrical figure, which really draws the eye. Curator: Absolutely. These goldweights weren’t mere adornments; they were crucial tools in trade. Gold was the lifeblood of the Akan economy, and standardized weights were necessary for fair transactions. Editor: So it speaks to systems of economic and labor practices from its era, a tangible part of the infrastructure of capital! The use of brass, then, is deliberate--a common and relatively accessible metal, reflecting maybe the communal nature of trading activities? Curator: Indeed. What’s interesting is how these functional objects also became a canvas for cultural expression. Many goldweights incorporated proverbs or symbols of status and social values. Although this one depicts a simple ladder, the symbolism of ladders and climbing resonates deeply across many cultures. Editor: It suggests aspiration, upward mobility, a climb toward something better. You know, viewing it materially, the casting would require skill in lost-wax casting techniques, it would be very intriguing to find out how artisans are trained, and if there's like a family trade element with that labor. Curator: Precisely, family tradition did have significant implications and it had ties to socio-economic status as well. Beyond technique, its circulation raises questions about colonialism and the extraction of resources like gold. The transfer of the ladder symbol, initially an Akan system element, also had meanings through other cultural and economic networks. Editor: So this one small object encapsulates so much - a ladder as a vehicle, material production, and complex historical and cultural systems, from craft tradition to transcontinental markets. I appreciate how that tension of something functional having such weight of meaning beyond the object. Curator: Agreed. The Akan goldweights reveal the fascinating entanglement of economic activity, cultural identity, and global power dynamics. Editor: A rich little form with a strong materiality to be sure, but the fact that a simple brass object could be tied into such intricate economic and social meaning just adds more depth when we contemplate the material itself.