Ghana · Metalwork / Blacksmithing
Mrammuo (also abrammuo); the goldsmith/caster is a sikadwumfo, or odwumfo (skilled craftsman)
The lost-wax (cire perdue) casting of brass goldweights and related objects by Akan, specifically Asante, metalworkers of Ghana, historically centered on Kumasi and its surrounding craft villages, notably Krofofrom and Adum Ensuasi. A wax model is sculpted by hand, encased in a clay mold, and heated so the wax melts and drains out, leaving a hollow cavity into which molten brass is poured; once cooled, the mold is broken to reveal the unique cast piece, since each mold is destroyed and no two goldweights are identical. Used for centuries to measure precise quantities of gold dust — the primary currency of Akan trade from the 15th to 19th centuries — goldweights evolved from simple geometric forms in the 1400s to elaborate figurative imagery by the 1700s, depicting proverbs, animals, and cultural scenes, and continue to be produced today, though contemporary quality is documented by academic research as measurably diminished relative to historic castings, prompting ongoing craft-improvement research at Kumasi's technical university.
Risk level: Endangered · Not independently inscribed
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