Weight

953–973

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This glass weight was used to mint gold coins. Its inscription refers to al-Mu‘izz li-Din Allah (ca. 930–975) of the Fatimid caliphate. Forged in the caliphate’s capital (present-day Tunisia), the weight was recovered in Mauritania at the site of a trading post. Fatimid gold currency was ultimately devalued in favor of that issued by the Almoravids, whose empire unified northwestern Africa, Muslim Spain, and ancient Ghana during the twelfth century. Akan polities in gold-mining regions developed standard units of measurement for weighing gold dust. Cast from brass, the earliest of these weights feature abstract geometric designs that reflect an Islamic sensibility.

Artwork Details

Title: Weight
Date: 953–973
Geography: Tunisia
Culture: Ifriqiya civilization
Medium: Glass
Dimensions: (Approx.) W. 1/8 × D. 1 in. (0.3 × 2.5 cm)
Classification: Glass-Implements
Credit Line: Office National des Musées de Mauritanie, Nouakchott, Mauritania (TEG 68 BII 38)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing