Kuduo African antiques, large African Kuduo Ashanti Gold Dust Container-4116

Description

Kuduo African antiques, large African Kuduo Ashanti Gold Dust Container-20.5/8.5 CM
Store
250 $
450 $
Kuduo African antiques, large African Kuduo Ashanti Gold Dust Container-20.5/8.5 CM
Vessels such as this example of cast brass known as kuduo were used by wealthier Ashanti (Asante) people of Ghana to store valuables such as ritual objects and gold dust. Others might have been buried with people of status. Some might have been used to hold a mixture of shea butter (derived from a natural oil extracted from the but of the shea tree) and gold dust used to adorn the corpses of high-status chiefs. This example is among the finest of its type that we have seen.
SIZE OF THE ITEM
20.5/8.5 CM
SHIPING
FREE DHL EXSSPRES
Material
An original patina covers the item
Description
Video
It has a tapering body and sits on a ring foot that is composed of applied brass loops. A lid sits in the vessel. The lid is surmounted with cast brass figures based themselves on gold weights. The sides of the container are also decorated with figures in high relief – one holds a python, one a musket, and so on. Additionally, the background is decorated with dozens of small, geometric shapes reminiscent of the motifs seen on Ashanti woven cloths. As suggested, a likely use for this vessel was to hold gold dust. Gold dust became the currency used to settle everyday transactions. Each party to any transaction would typically use their own weights. The negotiating process not only would include the cost in gold dust of the items being transacted over but also a comparison of weights, debate over the scales used and the purity of the gold dust (gold often was adulterated with brass filings). Even transactions as rudimentary as buying vegetables in a street market necessitated this process.
New Featured Items
shop now
African Tribal Face Mask Wood Hand Carved Dan carver of Côte d'Ivoire-3688
.00
shop now
Authentic Antique Hand Beautiful African Mask Bobo mask from Burkina Faso-2604
5.00
shop now
African Art African ART DAN mask carved in wood African Tribal Face Mask -4040
.00
shop now
African Art African ART DAN mask carved in wood African Tribal Face Mask-3959
.00
Carefully wrapped
Great price
DHL fast delivery
Listings
Feedback
Add to Favorites
Store
Addtowatchlist © 2022 All Rights Reserved