H x W x D: 10.4 x 7.5 x 2.8 cm (4 1/8 x 2 15/16 x 1 1/8in.)
Type:
Jewelry
Geography:
Côte d'Ivoire
Date:
Mid-late 20th century
Label Text:
The most skilled African artisans created jewelry from the most precious metals--brass, copper, silver and gold. While bracelets, pendants and earrings were decorative, they were also store currency, representing the accumulated wealth of individuals or families.
Although attributed to the Baule, this pendant and other forms of jewelry made by Baule metalsmiths could have circulated in the coastal region of Côte d'Ivoire, where gold jewelry was a prized possession of wealthy families, and public exhibitions of acquired gold served to increase one's status. This pendant of a turtle has suspension loops for a tail.
Description:
Cast gold alloy turtle with suspension loops by tail and lattice work shell; and a casting flaw by the nose.
Provenance:
Henri Kamer, Paris
David Markin, Kalamazoo, Michigan, -- to 1973
Exhibition History:
From Slavery to Freedom, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, July 2004-October 2007
The Art of African Currency, International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C., April 4-November 22, 2002
Content Statement:
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