Lot 379

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Description:

Slave Bracelets, Set of Two W. African Slave Bracelets Ca.1700-1850

Two West African slave bracelets, one appearing to have been for the wrist, measuring 3" x 2.5".  The other is an ankle bracelet, possibly for a child measuring 3.5" x 3.5". Both with excellent patina and oxidation.

The wrist bracelet, weighing 7 ounces, is of spiraled metal with concentric circle markings to the front and along the outer edge and was likely a 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, the earliest report on the use of Manillas in Africa points to its origin in Calabar the capital city of the Cross River State of coastal Southeastern Nigeria. It has been documented that in 1505 at Calabar, (Nigeria) Manillas were being used as a medium of exchange, one Manilla being worth a big elephant tooth, and a slave cost between eight and ten Manillas. They were also in use on the Benin River in 1589 and again in Calabar in 1688, where Dutch traders bought slaves against payment in rough grey copper armlets which had to be very well made or they would be quickly rejected. Although gold was the primary and abiding merchandise for trade, by the early 16th century, the slave trade was using Manillas, which became the principal money of this trade.  A typical voyage took Manillas and utilitarian brass objects such as pans and basins to West Africa, then slaves to America, and cotton back to the mills of Europe. The price of a slave, expressed in Manillas, varied considerably according to time, place, and the specific type of Manilla offered.

The ankle bracelet offered here was likely forged around the ankle of a woman or child and is quite heavy (this one is 11.2 ounces). African Heavy bronze anklets worn are rarely seen today. Often used in the slave trade, these heavy pieces would be worn around the ankle to prevent a woman or child from escaping or running away. In the equatorial forests anklets of great weight, traditionally part of a woman's dowry and symbols of status, were forged onto the women's legs to be worn to the grave unless they were removed by smiths. In the mid 1900s the government forbade women wearing these anklets because it was thought to make them look like slaves. 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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January 6, 2021 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000