A Gan Bronze Amulet Lot n° 4

Trailer Gan, Burkina Faso Ohne Sockel / without base Yellow cast iron. H 15,5 cm. Provenance: - Galerie Walu, Zurich. - Fred and Ilse Mayer (1933-2021 and 1934-2021), Zurich. - Hammer Auctions, Basel (A96, 11.03.2022, lot 12). - Swiss private collection, Geneva. Double crocodile (?): Gan, Burkina Faso. Since time immemorial, jewelry in various forms and materials has accompanied and fascinated people of all cultures. From a cultural point of view, bangles, anklets, amulets and necklaces are much more than just pieces of jewelry. In large parts of Africa, these precious objects are not only valued for their beauty, but are also worn as magical, protective and power-giving objects, which were also used as a means of exchange and payment. The ornaments are part of religious beliefs and symbolize rank and affiliation of the wearers. Furthermore, healers prescribe the wearing of protective jewelry for recovery and to avert disaster. Due to the value of the processed raw materials, such jewelry was also a store of value and was used in trade as pre-coinage currency. This so-called primitive money was cast or forged into standardized forms and exchanged over long distances. The use of imported copper alloy manillas as items of exchange dates back in Africa to at least the 16th century, when the Portuguese established trading posts in West Africa. In the course of time, these imported goods were repeatedly melted down and further processed. New forms were created and other materials, such as iron, were increasingly traded in the same way. At the beginning of the 20th century, most colonial powers banned jewelry hoops and other forms of money as a means of payment in order to establish their own currencies. Further reading: Bognolo, Daniela (2010). Les Gan du Burkina Faso. Reconstitution of the History and Symbolics of a Little-Known Kingdom. Paris: Éditions Hazan. CHF 100 / 200