Gold Weight in Form of Sankofa Bird

About this Brooklyn Icon

The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

During the 17th century, the Akan kingdoms in modern-day Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire—including the Asante empire, a powerful Akan stronghold—were members of a complex trading network that connected North, East, and West Africa. Merchants used mrammuo (gold weights) as counterbalances for gold dust, the Akan currency. This example depicts a mythical sankofa bird, with its head turned backward. A prominent symbol in the adinkra writing system used by the Akan peoples of Ghana, the sankofa bird visually represents an Akan proverb in Twi: “Sε wo werε fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri,” loosely meaning “return and get it.” This proverb underscores the importance of taking past experiences into consideration.

A seasoned Akan merchant would have had a full trading set for measuring gold dust, including scales, spoons, storage, and a complete weight family. Made from copper alloy or brass using the lost-wax casting method, weights created between circa 1500–1700 C.E. often feature geometric motifs that represent Akan proverbs and concepts.

The Brooklyn Museum has a significant holding of Akan trading sets dating from the 15th to 20th century. This mrammuo was featured in two important long-term installations at the Museum: African Innovations (2014) and Double Take: African Innovations (2018), which marked the first time that the Museum focused on a historical overview of the Arts of Africa collection.