West African Bronze Anklet

Cast Bronze Currency Anklet

West Africa

19th century

height: 13.2cm, width: 11cm, thickness: 5.5cm, weight: 890g

This dramatically sculptural West African currency anklet could be a piece of modern sculpture. It stands upright, unaided. It has been cast using the lost-wax process and has a ‘C’ form, with five pairs of protruding ‘stalks’ emanating from it. Two of these pairs are with semi-hemispherical terminals and, like the outer body of the ‘C’, these are decorated with rope-twist patterns.

Heavy anklets and bracelets such as these probably were not meant to be worn regularly but instead served as a form of wealth and could be used to conclude transaction among the groups living in West African countries such as Congo and Ghana.

This example has a wonderful colour and patina. Parts of the interior surface have some pitting from the casting process, adding to the interesting nature of the surface.

References

Grootaers, J. L. & I. Eisenburger, Forms of Wonderment: The History and Collections of the Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal, 2002.

Provenance

UK art market

Inventory no.: 3598

SOLD