Stellate "Bronze" bracelet

Hello, the above relic is a brass bracelet with 8 points which may represent antelope-horns (sometimes used to hold sacred-medicines) which is pictured in a reference by Andre Blandin titled BRONZES ET AUTRES ALLIAGES. Blandin apparently found this bracelet in Cote D'Ivoire but suspected it was from the interior, possible Mali. As far as I know, this bracelet has never been photographed in-situ and it's cultural significance is not known. I am curious to learn if anyone has ever seen a similar relic or has information. The only other reference I know which docuements a similar item is a title: AFRIKANISCHE REIFE: Der Grunshi-Kulturkreis (http://www.eucoprimo.com/Aktueller_Artikel/Bucherboard/bucherboard.html)

thanks

Hi Scott,
After a long time, eh? Great to see you back on the TAF.

Unfortunately I don't have any info on this piece. Hopefully someone will weigh in.

Steve Brothers

Hello Mr. Scott ,

I am Lorenzo De Rosa. So ,you would like to know something about that very beautiful bracelet. So, indeed I can tell you something, if not many, many things about it!!

I don't know if you liked so much jewellery, ethographic or simply ethnic jewels??!!!

Actually, I can say that though I know something about African jewellery I am not so interested in, perhaps because I am a boy, a man, so I am not so much appealed by!! Even though
I have just a few pieces of jewellery in my personal collection. Jewels are always delicious little pieces to have, if not truly
little masterpieces!!!!!

Regarding the item in question, I can say with my
knowledge, and so with a quite strong degree of certainty, that
piece is a quite beautiful -ancient??!!!- Bobo, Burkina Faso bracelet, very typical. The peoples of BF are great!! I like them, so much!! I think they are some of the most "ethnographic" and "African" people of allover Africa!! Today Burkina Faso is a ruined country but its peoples are some of the last remaining "genuine" African peoples!!

They made many strange and particular kinds of objects and jewels ,too!!

Also, I wanted to say to you, if you wanted to purchase an object, perhaps more beautiful of that one!!, I will give the web address of a quite beautiful American gallery in California so that you can buy it!!!!!

Best Regards

Yours Lorenzo

P.S. : The little object I mentioned is a late 1800 C.!!, and it has
an incredible range of a few "couples" of "stellate"!! It is quite beautiful, for a low and fair price!!

Hi Lorenzo

We don't permit ... commercial promotion, comments bearing on the value of any item currently on the market or on the reputation of any seller. Offering to direct someone to a gallery with a piece that you describe as "quite beautiful for a low and fair price" is too close to direct promotion for us. I appreciate and respect your enthusiasm; kindly respect our rules.

Regards

Steve Price

Hello, Lorenzo.
I appreciate your enthusiasm. I will certainly appreciate any information no matter how small you have to offer. It is quite possible this bracelet is from Burkina Faso as the author of the monographs (see the link) in my previous posting suggests the same.
But it would be a mistake, I believe, to consider relics like these as simply "jewels". In fact, there are a numerous variety of such ornaments particularly in W Africa which serve the function of much more than jewelry. Typically an object like this bracelet would serve a protective function, serving to shield the owner from sorcery and witchcraft, and occasionally for purposes of divination. In some cases, particularly in Burkina faso, personal bracelets were kept on ceremonial altars and used as containers for the souls of important ancestors.
Other obvious examples might include the soul-washers badge seen among the Akan, or the massive python (Fo) Diviner bracelets of the Senufo, or the Kru rings which I have briefly commented on previously. In these cases and many more, these objects have the form of jewelry but they are much more than that.

Hello Mr. Scott ,



So ,indeed I can see You are an expert and very learned Person ,certainly more than Me!! Yes ,I went and saw the link You advised.

Eventhough ,I thought the Item was from Burkina Faso ,actually!!

Anyway ,Dear Scott ,please let me say ,I completely agree and appeciated Your Observations!! Naturally ,that Item could have been Senufo or Gurunsi ,perhaps!! ,anyway coming from northern Ivory Coast!! Ivory Coast borders BF and Mali ,as You know better than me!! And ,obvioulsy African Peoples and Cultures are not Monoliths ,They relate to each other ,so infuencing and sometimes mixing ,overlapping their Styles and so also their artistic Characteristics!!


Just ,regarding ,the meaning to give to this kind of Objects ,I called them Jewels only because I wanted to be just simple.
I know quite well that many ,and many Objects in different Metal ,Iron or diverse copper Alloys ,"bronze" ,-just for instance!! ,have much more than a so "limited" significance!! ,-so They are not only ,just ornamental and appealing "Jewells".
Not to mention ,indeed the many Functions ,or properties that diferent Peoples attribute Them!! I Know ,quite well!! Though ,I am sorry if You would like to know exacly the Meaning of that specific Item ,actually I am not so learned to give You ,if ever possible a certain and competent answer!! You need a Scholar ,maybe the one in the very exellent Website You provided.



To end ,I liked to give You that Web Addres ,just because the Item there for sale ,beyond the fact that is for sale is a VERY SPECIAL example ot the same kind of Object as the one You showed Us!! If ,for a cultural and not Commercial Interest You liked to know and see it ,please Let Me know!! I will give You ,that address with great pleasure!!


Too ,if I can incidentally or not ,came to know something more specific about Origin ,Function and meaning of an Object similiar if not identical to Your One ,be sure I will let You know!! OK!!








Best Regards



Yours Lorenzo

Hi Lorenzo

The gallery to which you are offering to direct Scott (and anyone else who reads this) is a commercial source that is promoted by your post, the item to which you refer is for sale by them and being promoted by you. If you have images of it and want to introduce it to the discussion without commenting on its merit, you're welcome to do so. Otherwise, please don't ignore the simple rules in the paragraph atop this page. We DO NOT PERMIT ... commercial promotion, comments bearing on the value of any item currently on the market or on the reputation of any seller. This is the second reminder in two days.

Regards

Steve Price

Hello Steve ,



"if for cultural and not Commercial reason You would like to know...." .


Actually ,I stated that way ,indeed!! So ,not indicating anything that might relate to Sale!! I have ,just told so ,because in that gallery there is a good example of that kind of Objects. I was not doing Commercial Promotion ,oh ,No I am not a Vendor!! Too, I have no relationship ,personally with that Gallery!! Tell Me in what other way I could have told that simple Fact!! Perhaps ,You just misunderstood!! I told that Info just for a cultural and informative reason!!


Anyway ,I didn't want to create Problems ,so indeed I will never again tell anything alike ,Be sure!! I beg Your Pardon.







Yours Lorenzo

Hi Lorenzo

I don't doubt your motives - if I thought you were trying to promote a business in which you have a financial interest, I would have deleted the post. So, I'm sure you meant no harm.

On the other hand, here are quotes from messages you posted in the past few days:
1. ... if you wanted to purchase an object, perhaps more beautiful of that one!!, I will give the web address of a quite beautiful American gallery in California so that you can buy it!!!!!

2. ... the Item there for sale ,beyond the fact that is for sale is a VERY SPECIAL example ot the same kind of Object as the one You showed Us!!

Both statements promote the gallery and the object that the gallery is selling. I can't permit you to make such statements unless I permit others to do so as well. If I do that, our forums will become a venue for promotions, and the content will no longer be free of conflicts of interest.

I hope you understand.

Thanks, and regards,

Steve Price

Hello Lorenzo,
The type of bracelet you are referring to is indeed from Burkina Faso, usually attributed to the Bwa or Bobo, but some similar types are found among the Fra Fra I believe. I have posted two photos above. Some people refer to these as "fighting-bracelets". See a very old reference by Gerhard Lindblom, 1927 of the same title. But these fighting bracelets are slightly different and certainly smaller than the larger bracelet pictured in the black and white photo at the beginning of this thread, whose weight is about 2-3 pounds. I have to break for a second but I will post a few more comments in a moment.

Well, so far not much success in getting information about the "stellate" brass-ring pictured at the head of this thread but I thought I would share a photo of another of the so-called "fighting bracelets" that I came across online. As I understand it, (and don't quote me) the fight referred to is in fact the fight against witchcraft, That is: these bracelets , like so many other objects which function as objects of power, are used to access the world of the spirits in hopes of obtaining spiritual health and protection-- particularly in the ongoing battle against witchcraft. This battle is seen as an aggressive unceasing battle against anti-social forces which seek to destroy the physical and spiritual health of individuals and the community. This explains the aggressive appearance of such power objects like Nkisi, and also (my read) the appearance of this bracelet.
I will be interested to hear from anyone who has seen a bracelet like this being worn of used in ceremony.

Hello Scott ,

So, indeed because, incidentally I came across a new wonderful article on Burkina Faso, shortly said I had the opportunity to find a wonderful, sholarly article by Professor Christopher Roy. He is a extraordinary researcher -University of Iowa. His researchs in BF are the best, simply fantastic!!

Indeed, just regarding one of his numerous researchs on the field, he reports in a new webpage!! This is the article, go and read that to: http://artqtserver.art.uiowa.edu:8080/ALA_Web/Index.html

In that article among many very interesting things, Pr. Roy speaks about the function of the many different protective spirits, the Lobi in particular, though also other tribes worships, so that they can protect them from any different source of problems and hardships!! Their general name is Thil, - singular.

Actually, the "jewels" or better said these metal portable objects, are all Thil, too!! N aturally, in that article all this will be extensively explained. That was very fascinating to know!!

In the end they are not at all "jewels", you could call them "amulets" -perhaps!! Or, exactly "portable" protective -sometimes only personal "spirits", Thil!!

Also, go to the Photographs Page no. 2. You will see two great pictures with many ancient example of this kind of "Jewels" - Thil!!

I thought that might be good for you, to see this very interesting range of "jewels"!! Of this, spirits in metal!!!!!





Hoped this could have been of interest of you, and be something new and fresh in your great knowledge you already have in this field!!

If you liked let me know something.

Regards

Yours Lorenzo

Hello Lorenzo,
Thank you for your last posting. Actually, I am indeed familiar with Christopher Roy's work, and particularly with his book THE ART OF THE VOLTA RIVERS. There are some photos of brass-work in his book but mostly the focus is elsewhere.
I am also quite familiar with Lobi art, and there is an excellent literature on their art forms. The link above -in the very first posting in this thread - to the Eucoprimo website leads your to 4 books, one which shows only Lobi brass-work.
The use of amulets or objects for spiritual protection is an ancient world-wide phenomenon, that exists to this day.

Hello Scott ,

So ,indeed I can see that you knew already ,just everything about!! That was not so new ,and "fresh" for you ,alas!!

Again ,let me say ,that certainly you have a great and deep Knowledge about Metalwork ,and so I thought I might add so little more you don't know ,about!!!!!

Anyway ,I wanted to thank you so much for the webpages you sent me ,that was very kind of You!! Many ,many thanks!!!!!

Also ,if I would come to know somethimg more ,I will remember to let you know. OK!!

To end ,if you could satisfy my curiousity!! This great Interest about metalwork ,it was just only cultural or led you to have a collection of Items ,-perhaps??!!!


Best Regards

Yours Lorenzo