Akan Gold Dust Spoons (Nsawa), Box & Weights

Here, in embossed brass sheet, is a rare gold dust sieving spoon; three gold dust spoons known as nsawa; and a small, round box for storing gold dust. These are accompanied by a small set of (probably) British nested gold weights – six weights encased in a brass box stamped on the cover 1 troy Oz (ounce) and two small British crowns. Walker (2018, p. 75) similarly illustrates a group of Akan gold dust paraphernalia and includes a European, nested set of gold weights.

This group of objects, dating to the late 19th century, is highly representative of Akan commerce and culture.

The Akan are a broad group largely based in Ghana of which the Asante (Ashanti) are a sub-group. Much of the wealth of the Akan came from trade in gold dust. They sourced the gold dust by panning the rivers for gold and by sluicing soil known to hold gold dust. The fact that most of the gold found in Akan lands was in the form of tiny particles (rather than say nuggets or seams) meant that a whole range of implements and containers adept at handling and storing gold dust were evolved. The gold dust was sold to traders from outside the region but also was used as a currency among the Akan.

The spoons in this group are all of hammered brass. All have elaborate, embossed handles. One is pierced. Such spoons were used for lifting gold dust from storage containers and onto scales, and back. Related spoons are illustrated in Walker (2018, p. 78), Phillips (2010, p. 17) and Cole & Ross (1977, p. 84).

One spoon has a pierced bowl for sifting gold dust. We are unaware of any published examples of such a spoon.

The round box in this group is known as a forowa. The Akan produced a range of containers from imported sheet brass. This example was used to hold gold dust.

Forowa production is likely to have stopped by the 1920s.

There are no significant copper deposits to make brass in Ghana, so the brass and copper used was imported either from European coastal trade or via trans-Saharan trade, either in sheet form already, or in metal manilas that were then melted and beaten by native metalworkers.

Most forowa and gold dust spoons seem to come from the Asante regions of northern rather than southern Ghana and so probably are the work of Asante metalworkers.

The items in this group are all in fine condition. They have come together and seem to have been collected together in Ghana during colonial times.