Asante Goldweights Value Guide

These mid-20th century Asante Goldweights from Ghana represent a transition from functional trade tools to significant cultural art pieces. Featuring six miniature brass birds mounted on a rectangular bar, this set exemplifies the figurative style used to communicate proverbs and social status within the Asante Empire.

What Is Asante Goldweights Worth?

The typical price range for Asante Goldweights is $45 - $50 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• The physical condition and patina of the brass and iron materials.
• The level of detail preserved in the casting of the six individual bird figures.
• Market demand for mid-century West African decorative souvenirs and ethnographic art.
• The completeness of the set, as these are valued as a single unit on the rectangular bar.

How to Identify Asante Goldweights?

• Look for the distinct lost-wax casting texture on the six miniature brass bird figures.
• Verify the rectangular base bar is composed of brass or iron consistent with 1950-1970 production.
• Check for signs of hand-finishing and traditional West African stylistic proportions in the avian forms.
• Identify the specific 'birds on a bar' motif which is a common figurative representation in mid-century Ghanaian brass work.

History of Asante Goldweights

These figures are based on the traditional brass weights used by the Asante people of Ghana for measuring gold dust. Each figurative weight often represents a specific proverb or social meaning within West African culture. While historically used in trade, many were produced in the mid-20th century as decorative souvenirs for travelers.