A Lobi Iron Snake

Iron snake Lobi, Burkina Faso Mit Sockel / with base Iron. L 34 Provenance: Galerie Walu, Zurich, Switzerland (before 1998). Jewelry in a wide variety of forms and materials has always accompanied and fascinated people of all cultures. From a cultural point of view, however, bracelets and anklets, amulets, finger rings and necklaces are much more than just pieces of jewelry. In large parts of Africa, the masterfully crafted jewels are appreciated for their beauty, but the precious ornaments are above all part of religious beliefs. They are therefore testimony to the affiliation, rank and faith of the wearer. Furthermore, healers prescribed the wearing of protective jewelry for recovery or to avert disaster. The treasures were therefore also worn as magical, protective and empowering objects. In addition to local materials such as gold, silver, copper, iron, stone, ivory, shell or resin, popular imported goods (glass, coral, cowrie shells, etc.) were also used to make these valuable unique pieces. Indian stone beads, for example, reached Africa very early on via the trade routes of the Near East. Later, during Murano's heyday between the 16th and 19th centuries, Italian-made glass beads in particular sold like hot cakes. Due to the value of the raw materials used, the jewelry was also a store of value and was also used as a means of exchange and payment. These pre-coinage means of payment (so-called primitive money) in standardized forms were traded over long distances. The use of imported manillas made of copper alloys as objects of exchange in Africa dates back to at least the 16th century, when the Portuguese established trading stations in West Africa. Over time, these imported goods were repeatedly melted down and cast or forged into new shapes, with other materials, such as iron, increasingly being traded in the same way. At the beginning of the 20th century, most colonial powers banned these forms of money as a means of payment in order to establish their own currencies. Further reading: Blandin, Andre / Biton, M. / Celis, G. / Convers, M. / Martinelli, B. / Schneider, K. (1992). "Fer noir" d'Afrique de l'ouest. Marignane: André Blandin. CHF 100 / 200 Condition: The condition (wear, eventual cracks, tear, other imperfections and the effects of aging etc. if applicable) of this lot is as visible on the multiple photos we have uploaded for your documentation. Please feel free to contact Hammer Auktionen for all questions you might have regarding this lot ([email protected]). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Hammer Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Hammer Auktionen is here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Hammer Auktionen within 5 days of receiving the item. -------------------------------------------- The condition (possible wear, signs of use, cracks, possible other damage and signs of age, etc.) of this lot can be seen in the photos we have uploaded for your documentation. If you have any questions about this item, please do not hesitate to contact Hammer Auctions ([email protected]). The information regarding the condition of the items provided for the convenience of interested parties is an opinion only and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Hammer Auctions accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. In the rare event that the item does not match the description in the catalog, Hammer Auctions is here to help. Buyers may return the lot for a full refund provided they notify Hammer Auctions within 5 days of receiving the lot.