Description:

Africa, Nigeria/Republic of Benin, Yoruba, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A sizeable and quite hefty copper alloy currency torque - the metal possibly extracted from manillas, which were also a source of metal for royal heads and plaques that have been created since the 16th century in Benin - presenting a beautiful surface with a cross-hatched/weave-like pattern and marvelous rich age patina. Size: 13.25" L x 13" W (33.7 cm x 33 cm); weight: 19 pounds (8.6 kilograms)

See a similar example dating to 17th to 18th century at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (object number 2014.12) - https://www.vmfa.museum/piction/6027262-10401737/

The curatorial staff wrote, "Given the scarcity of copper ore in western Africa, the metal was a highly prized commodity attained through trade with Europe or from other distant parts of Africa, such as Morocco to the north and Katanga in the Congo. When European ships started arriving along the African coast in great numbers during the 16th century and later, they carried brass (an alloy of copper) manillas, bracelet-shaped weights in different sizes that served as a medium of exchange. The Yoruba melted them down and recast perhaps twenty or so into larger currencies, or torques."

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

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#143251

  • Condition: Nicks to peripheries. Expected surface wear commensurate with age. Gorgeous deep patina.

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April 4, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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