Anklet

Object Details

Label Text

In Ekonda, Nkundo and related communities, jewelry served as both a stylish accessory and an indicator of status and wealth. Due to their weight, shape and material, these massive adornments verify their owner had the means to avoid physical labor. To create these hefty forms, the artist poured molten metal directly into a cast in the ground, called a puddle mold. As the metal cooled, it was formed into a circular shape and often fitted directly to the wearer's body. The outside surface was then burnished and polished.

Description

Copper alloy anklet puddle cast in the form of a cylinder. A slight swell at the center of the cylinder is accentuated by three raised ridges. Openings are angled so that one surface of the cylinder is longer than the other. The edges of the openings are chiseled and engraved.

Provenance

Arnold and Joanne Syrop, New York, ca. 1993 to 2002

Exhibition History

African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 8, 2019)

African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013

Content Statement

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Data Source

National Museum of African Art

Maker

Ekonda artist

Date

Late 19th to early 20th century

Credit Line

Gift of Arnold and Joanne Syrop

Medium

Copper alloy

Dimensions

H x W x D: 24.1 x 12.2 x 15.2cm (9 1/2 x 4 13/16 x 6in.)

Type

Jewelry