H x W x D: 4.1 x 14 x 14 cm (1 5/8 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.)
Type:
Jewelry
Geography:
Cameroon
Date:
Late 19th-early 20th century
Label Text:
Cast metal neck rings were made and used by a number of groups, including the Bulu and the Fang of Cameroon and Gabon, from the equatorial forest region. A sign of marriage, they were worn in pairs by women and were never removed. Made of a large amount of valuable copper alloy, they represent a conspicuous display of stored wealth.
Description:
C-shaped copper alloy neck ring with two horizontal flanges.
Provenance:
Jacob A. Reis, DD, and Eleanor N. Reis, RN, collected near Bafia mission station, Cameroon, 1908-1948
Province and Eleanor Reis Henry, Vienna, Virginia, -- to 1984
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