West African Manilla-Form Brass Bracelet with Stylised Figure Currency-Derived Ornament - Akan / Baoulé, Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire

This cast brass bracelet takes the form of a manilla-type torque, derived from the copper and brass currency rings historically traded along the West African coast. While early manillas functioned as units of exchange, local metalworkers later reinterpreted the form as personal ornament.

The bracelet features a stylised anthropomorphic figure integrated into the surface, demonstrating the sculptural possibilities of the lost-wax casting technique widely practiced across the Akan cultural region. The form, weight, and engraved surface decoration are consistent with brass ornaments produced in Ghana and neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire during the 20th century.

Circa: Mid–late 20th century

PROVENANCE Egon Guenther Collection.

MEASUREMENTS
Diameter: 7.2 cm
Internal diameter: 4.8 cm
Thickness: approx. 4.8 cm
Weight: 190 g