West African Cast Brass Three-Knobbed Bangle, Akan Attributed, Ghana, Manilla-Related Form

A cast brass open-form bangle attributed to Akan metalworking traditions of West Africa, most likely Ghana. The form, defined by its rounded terminal expansions and continuous curved profile, may be described as a three-knobbed type, a configuration encountered across a range of West African cast ornaments. Comparable examples have been associated in the literature with Gurma (Gourmantché) production in the Burkina Faso–Ghana region, although such forms are not exclusive to a single group. More broadly, objects of this kind belong to a wider corpus of cast metalwork historically linked to both personal adornment and systems of value exchange, often discussed in relation to so-called “manillas.”

Cast using the lost-wax technique, the bracelet displays a fluid, sculptural quality with subtle surface irregularities inherent to the process. The metal retains a consistent dark brown patina with areas of wear from handling. Its solid weight and balanced proportions suggest use as a wearable object within a wider tradition of cast brass forms circulating across West Africa during the late pre-colonial and early colonial periods.

Circa: 19th–early 20th century

Provenance: Egon Guenther Collection; by descent to Thomas Guenther Collection

Measurements:
Outer width 8.4 cm
Inner width 5.58 cm
Outer height 6.25 cm
Inner height 4.1 cm
Thickness 1.43 cm

Weight: 132 g