three looped chains attached to ring on base of oval platform with hook on other side; an umbrella on a post sits between two cannons on platform, both with two front wheels; four, flat circulars pieces hang from rings around platform on looped chains (two single chains and a set of two)

Bracelet with cannon and umbrella ornaments and coin pendants, late 19th century

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More than one hundred years ago, the elite of the Danhomé Kingdom in West Africa would have worn these silver ornaments to adorn themselves and show off their wealth, and also to protect themselves from harm and evil. Fashioned by jewelers from imported silver coins, the ornaments were embellished with tiny sculptures that refer to past kings, heroic wars, and the Vodun religion. The coins attached to the ornaments date from between 1873 and 1910, bridging the last decades of the independent Kingdom and the first 15 years of French colonial rule.

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Details
Title
Bracelet with cannon and umbrella ornaments and coin pendants
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2019.62.14
Curator Approved

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three looped chains attached to ring on base of oval platform with hook on other side; an umbrella on a post sits between two cannons on platform, both with two front wheels; four, flat circulars pieces hang from rings around platform on looped chains (two single chains and a set of two)