Asante / Akan Brass Bracelet, Ghana, Lost-Wax Cast Copper Alloy Bangle, Hans Himmelheber / Egon Guenther Provenance

Heavy cast brass bracelet attributed to the Asante / Akan peoples of Ghana, West Africa. The object is a circular bangle with a rounded section and repeated geometric decoration around the exterior surface. Comparable museum examples are recorded as Asante or Akan copper-alloy bracelets from Ghana, commonly described as personal ornaments associated with adornment, status, and wealth.

The bracelet was produced using the lost-wax casting process, a long-established metalworking technique in Akan and Asante brass traditions. It shows hand-finished surface variation, minor asymmetry, age-related wear, and an aged brass patina. The interior bears a white-painted “HH” inventory mark associated with Hans Himmelheber, and the object comes by descent from the Egon Guenther Collection.

Circa: 19th–20th century

Provenance:
Egon Guenther Collection; acquired from the Hans Himmelheber Collection.
By family descent to the Thomas Guenther Collection.

Measurements:
Outer diameter: 9.0 cm
Inner diameter: 7.0 cm
Thickness: 1.1 cm

Weight: 195 g