Côte d'Ivoire Cuff

Description

Akan metalsmiths in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire created a wide variety of splendid ceremonial objects and jewelry forms in gold and cast brass for local patrons. An example of the designs developed within the region is a necklace in the Museum’s collection composed of eleven cast-brass beads from Côte d’Ivoire (19th–mid-20th-century) made by the Baule or Lagoon peoples, both Akan subgroups. Its geometric-shaped beads feature intricate wax thread patterns and openwork designs. Our ornate cuff is based on the original beads.

24K gold overlay, with tortoise resin. 2 3/4''W; Inner circumference: 5 1/2'' with 1 1/2'' opening.

Art History

From about 1400 to 1900, the Akan peoples of central West Africa controlled lucrative gold-mining and trading in sub-Saharan West Africa. Fifteenth-century European traders referred to present-day Ghana as the “Gold Coast” due to its riches.