This object is one of a pair of Ashanti goldweights, or 'sika abrammoo'. It depicts a small mounted cannon. It was presented to the University of Birmingham by Sister Evelyn Bellamy in 1968.

Goldweights were widely produced by the Ashanti and often represented proverbs relating to man and his societal position. The art of brass casting and metal arts in general flourished due to the large amounts of metal naturally occuring in the region. Metal casting was a skilled and widely practised art until the Ashanti war of 1874, after which most goldsmiths began to produce cheaper trinkets for the newly emerging tourist trade. Sister Evelyn Bellamy was a Methodist Missionary in Ghana and between 1914 and 1943 was headmistress of Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast. The Danford Collection is home to a large number of objects presented by Sister Evelyn Bellamy.

Notes:  (1) the cannon is mounted on wheels, (2) the cannon is mounted on legs

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