Asante (Ghana) Goldweight Brass

Cast in the lost wax method, goldweights are the result of a beeswax mold carved into a specific shape or form. The beeswax mold form is then covered with a clay casing and fired. As the heat melts away the wax mold, molten metal is poured into the clay casing mold. Metal such as copper, bronze, or brass are most common. When the metal has hardened, the clay mold is broken apart to reveal and remove the metal goldweight. Since the mold is broken in the process, each goldweight is original and unique. A variation of this process that is repeatedly and successfully practiced by the Asante is a "direct cast technique", also known by some as the "lost beetle technique." In this process, natural objects are used instead of a wax figure to create the clay mold. Examples of objects that have been used to make such goldweights are the body of a beetle, a peanut shell, an animal foot, or a cocoon. Return to previous page.