Figurative Weight (abrammuo): Sankofa Bird

Label TextOne of the most common Asante goldweights is one named Sankofa, a bird with a swirling, backward-twisting neck. Daniel Koo Nimo Amponsah (2001) relates four of its many interpretations: "Pick it up if it falls behind" (whatever mistakes one has made in the past can be corrected). "Go back and pick" ("san," return, "ko," go, "fa," pick: any aspect of culture that doesn't draw from the past to replenish the present and cast a shadow into the future will die). "When it lies behind you, take it" (use the wisdom of the past), or simply, "one foot should be in front of another."

A unique way of doing business inspired miniature sculpture among the Asante. Gold dust and nuggets were placed on scales, and brass figures were used to balance and measure their weight. Trading gold became an event that mixed exhibitions of tiny sculptures with eloquent sayings. Each weight carries a message that can help steer conversation and ignite reflection. To articulate those messages, the museum enlisted a musician who is known for his careful use of words--someone who grew up in the Asante royal court, where brilliant and imaginative public speaking was a requisite skill. With his guidance, we know that this bird, which is known as Sankofa, often signifies a saying as simple as "If it falls behind you, pick it up," but there are more nuanced readings of the bird's messages to come.

Object number81.17.397

Provenance[Julius Carlebach Gallery, New York]; purchased from gallery by Katherine White, Apr. 23, 1961

Photo CreditPhoto: Paul Macapia

The art of oratory is in West Africa carried to a remarkable pitch of perfection.

R.A. Freeman, 1888, <i>Journey to Ashantee</i>

Exhibition HistoryCleveland, Ohio, Cleveland Museum of Art, African Tribal Images: The Katherine White Reswick Collection, July 10 - Sept. 1, 1968 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Museum, Oct. 10 - Dec. 1, 1968). Text by William Fagg. Cat. no. 105. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Art from Africa: Long Steps Never Broke a Back, Feb. 7 - May 19, 2002 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Oct. 2, 2004 - Jan. 2, 2005; Hartford, Connecticut, Wadsworth Atheneum, Feb. 12 - June 19, 2005; Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Art Museum, Oct. 8, 2005 - Jan. 1, 2006; Nashville, Tennessee, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Jan. 27 - Apr. 30, 2006 [as African Art, African Voices: Long Steps Never Broke a Back]). Text by Pamela McClusky. No cat. no., pp. 81-82, reproduced pl. 44. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Lessons from the Institute of Empathy, Mar. 31, 2018 - ongoing.Published ReferencesAppiah, Kwame Anthony, The Politics of Culture The Politics of Identity, Institute for Contemporary Culture at the ROM, pp.45, 2008, Royal Ontario Museum

Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company

Dimensions1 3/8 x 11/16 x 1 3/8 in. (3.5 x 1.8 x 3.5 cm)

MediumCast brass (cire perdue)