Manilla bracelet with bird finial,Akan / Ashanti Culture, Ghana, 19th to early 20th century

This small cast bronze open bracelet belongs to the West African manilla family of ornaments and exchange forms, attributed to Akan-speaking groups, most likely Ashanti, in present-day Ghana. Such rings functioned as personal adornment and markers of status and wealth; zoomorphic terminals, especially birds, are associated with communication, vigilance, and social identity within Akan visual culture.

The bracelet is solid cast using the lost-wax method and shows compact proportions consistent with wrist or child adornment rather than currency trade manillas. The smooth wear to the outer arc, softened modelling of the bird head, and darkened recesses indicate prolonged handling and age. Pieces of this scale and sculptural quality are collected for their dual role as adornment and small-scale metal sculpture within West African metalworking traditions.

Circa: Late 19th to early 20th century

PROVENANCEEgon Guenther Collection

MEASUREMENTS
Diameter: 4.45 cm
Inner diameter: 3.44 cm
Weight: 30 g