H x W x D: 7.1 x 15.9 x 13.6 cm (2 13/16 x 6 1/4 x 5 3/8 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:
Cast copper alloy C-shaped neck ring with central flange. Each register is divided into five sections: a central square wtih concave sides flanked by a diamond shapes with horizontal lines through the middle on cross-hatched background. The end panels are smooth and the overall surface is polished.
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
Paul A. Reis, Akron, Ohio, -- to 1984
Exhibition History:
Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing
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