# Akan (Ashanti) gold and goldweights

> Gold is a symbol of royalty and life for the Akan of Ghana: royal jewelry, lost-wax brass goldweights and Adinkra symbols.

- Source: https://www.711grados.com/en/akan-ashanti-gold/
- Language: en
- Note: This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.
- Published: 2026-06-16
- Updated: 2026-06-16
- Translation (es): https://www.711grados.com/es/oro-akan-ashanti/
- Author: Sandra Sánchez
- Site: 711 Grados (https://www.711grados.com/)

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For the Akan of Ghana, especially the Asante (Ashanti) kingdom, gold is tied to royalty, prestige and life force. The gold jewelry and regalia of chiefs and kings are an essential part of ceremony.

## Who and where

The Akan live in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. The Asante kingdom was for centuries a major trading power built on gold. At ceremonies kings and chiefs wear solid gold pieces: rings, bracelets, necklaces and large ornaments.

## Materials and techniques

- Alluvial [gold](https://www.711grados.com/en/gold/), worked by casting and hammering.
- Goldweights (abrammuo) of [brass](https://www.711grados.com/en/brass/) or bronze, cast by [lost wax](https://www.711grados.com/en/lost-wax-casting/), used to weigh gold dust.
- Adinkra symbols on cloth, jewelry and objects.

## Traditional pieces and their meaning

- **Goldweights:** small figures of animals, objects and scenes, many tied to proverbs.
- **Ceremonial jewelry:** gold necklaces, bracelets and rings of kings and chiefs.
- **Adinkra symbols:** Sankofa (the bird looking backward) means “go back and fetch what was forgotten”; Gye Nyame, “except God”, expresses divine supremacy.

## The tradition today

The Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi) is the sacred symbol of the Asante people, and it is not a piece of jewelry. Akan jewelry is produced today in workshops in Ghana, which reinterpret Adinkra symbols in contemporary pieces.

> [!NOTE]
> The meanings of the pieces can vary between communities, families and periods. This entry is a general introduction; to go deeper, turn to artisans and to museums of the communities themselves.

## See also

- [Gold](https://www.711grados.com/en/gold/)
- [Lost-wax casting](https://www.711grados.com/en/lost-wax-casting/)
- [Brass](https://www.711grados.com/en/brass/)
- [Symbols in traditional jewelry and their meaning](https://www.711grados.com/en/symbols-in-traditional-jewelry/)