West African Brass Manilla Currency Bracelet, Dogon Attribution, Mali, Lost-Wax Cast Prestige Currency Ring

This cast copper alloy manilla currency bracelet belongs to a long West African tradition in which metal forms functioned as portable wealth as well as personal adornment. The compact penannular form with thickened terminals corresponds to bracelet currencies documented across the Inland Niger region and traditionally attributed in the art market to the Dogon cultural sphere of present-day Mali.

The surface shows age, handling wear, and a stable patina consistent with long circulation and use.

Produced by the lost-wax casting process, each example was individually formed rather than mould-replicated, giving subtle asymmetry and sculptural character. Objects of this type operated within systems of exchange, social payment, and status display, making them both wearable and economically meaningful.

Provenance, Egon Guenther Collection

Measurements
Diameter: 5.56 cm
Inner Diameter: 3.9 cm
Weight: 68 g