Antique handmade African thick bronze bracelet with geometric detailing. Exceptional antique circa 19th century or older bracelet, possibly used as currency. This piece is unique collectible, with great craftsmanship having gone into its creation! As this item is antique, it may show signs of use, age, and/or oxidation.

Please note that the sizes within this listing are approximate. A vintage African bracelet made from Bronze and/or Copper. These manilla, named after the Portuguese or Spanish word for bangle were a form of currency in regions throughout Africa where metal had value in society. Wikipedia have an informative page on Manilla. Manillas are a form of money, usually made of bronze or copper, which were used in West Africa. They were produced in large numbers in a wide range of designs, sizes, and weights. Originating before the colonial period, perhaps as the result of trade with the Portuguese Empire, Manillas continued to serve as money and decorative objects until the late 1940s and are still used as decorative objects in some contexts. In the popular consciousness, they are particularly associated with the Atlantic slave trade. est Africa 19th century dimensions:

This unusually large manilla appears to have been produced in Africa. Most however, were smaller and were made in Europe for export to West Africa, where they were used as a primitive form of currency.

It appears to me to be West African rather than a European provenance. Large, heavy examples of manillas sometimes were referred to as ‘king’ or ‘queen’ manillas and were believed to have been used by the nobility as a store of wealth and to settle transactions for significant purchases such as land, slaves and brides. The name manilla is said to derive from the Spanish for bracelet ‘manilla’ or the Portuguese for ‘hand-ring’. Most manillas used as currency in Nigeria and Ghana were in the form of copper or brass anklets and bracelets.

The use of manilla currency in West Africa lasted until the second world war.Vintage African Bronze Copper Manilla Currency Bracelet Bangle Large Tribal Jewellery Jewelry c1930-50’s - possibly Niger Baoule Dogon Condition: in antique condition with signs of previous use, patina and tarnish, dings and scrapes, very solid piece

Dimensions: Circumference: outer 35cm (14 in)

                                                            : inner. 20cm ( 8in)

Weight: 639g

Style: Tribal (Of the Period) Materials and Techniques: Bronze,Metal Place of Origin: Africa

Period: 19th Century Date of Manufacture: circa 19th Century Condition: GoodWear consistent with age and use.

As this item is antique, it may show signs of use, age, and/or oxidation.