Material Stories: Gold. I Wear Imitation Because I do Feel Gold is Dirty

Article / SaskiaVanEs Materials CriticalThinking BeverleyPrice MarietteLiefferink DianavanderPad TedNoten MarieJosévandenHout GregValerio UteDecker BennHarvey-Walker JoziGold JoseLuisFettolini SylviaVollenhoven FredrikGertten PatriciaPisters TolinAlexander SiebrendeHaan ChristineMatthias Essays

Published: 02.02.2021

Activist Mariette Liefferink at a mining site near Johannesburg.
Photo: Maanda Nwendamutswu.

Mansa Moussa, King of Mali, wealthy from trading salt, gold, and slaves, went on hadj to Mekka. It was the year 1324. Traveling in style, he took 80 camels carrying two tons of gold and 500 servants with a bar of gold each. He took the zakat, the obligation to give to charity, quite seriously. Unfortunately for the places along his route, such as Cairo, he caused the gold price to plunge to such depths, that the region was left in a colossal economic depression.

Klimt02's Material Stories series attempts to examine various perspectives on the use of materials. This is the second article of the series of the Materials Stories series, on Gold. Stay tuned to explore gems, pearls, and recycled materials.

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