Goldweight [Coiled Bean] 19th-20th century

Editor: This is an Akan goldweight, likely from the 19th or 20th century, made of brass, and it’s called “Coiled Bean.” It’s smaller than I expected, very tactile, and almost… playful. What do you see in this piece from a formal perspective? Curator: From a formalist point of view, I'm particularly interested in the interplay of form and materiality here. Observe the closed, cyclical shape—the 'coiled' aspect. How does the choice of brass as a medium affect our understanding of this form? Consider its density, color, and how it reflects light. Editor: Well, the brass gives it weight, obviously, even though it’s small. The sheen also makes it feel more precious than it might otherwise. Does the shape mean anything formally? Curator: Indeed. The coiled shape draws the eye around and around, creating a sense of unendingness, but it also brings a nice structural harmony. It may serve as an element of abstract balance within the composition, given there's an open aperture. How does this aperture change your formal reading of the object? Editor: It keeps it from being totally closed off, I guess? Makes it a dynamic shape, rather than a static one. Are you saying its function, as a weight, is less important than how it looks? Curator: Its visual properties can function autonomously from its historical use. Do we not derive aesthetic satisfaction from the brass's surface texture or the elegant simplicity of its coiling design, regardless of its monetary significance? The artist’s careful attention to line, volume, and surface transforms it into something more. Editor: I see your point. So even something utilitarian can be appreciated purely for its aesthetic qualities. Curator: Precisely! Considering “Goldweight [Coiled Bean]” this way enhances our sensitivity to abstract relations between line and mass in works from any time period. What a great reminder! Editor: Agreed, looking at it as just shape and form opens up a new way of seeing it.