Over 170 lots of African art. Items include women's indigo wraps. Marka/Dafing people, Burkina Faso; Dan headdress, Liberia; large carved Mali-style African drum; old currency spears. Tuareg people, Mali & Niger; rod puppet head of Dankalankule, the Oryx antelope; Bandaka “jellyfish” form currency. Mambila & Chamba people; pendants, Coptic Christian people, Ethiopia; leg band. Mongo & Konda people, Congo; Koranko body mask, Guinea, Sierra Leone; abstract bogolan textile. Bamana people, Mali; ceremonial snake-form bayonet/knife. Lobi people, Burkina Faso; ceremonial blacksmith’s hammer, Northern Nigeria; wedding blanket. Tuareg people, Niger & Mali; West African heddle pulleys. (A) Senufo people, Ivory Coast; maternity figure. Lokko people, Sierra Leone; male Chi Wara head crest mask. Bamana people, Mali; rare Asafo flag bearer/dancer's skirt. Fante people, Ghana & more. Items are located in Pleasant Valley, NY.

Payment is due by Monday, April 13 at 1PM. All lots are subject to seller approval.

Information with payment & pickup instructions will be emailed to winning bidders the morning after the auction ends.

Pickup is by appointment only & must be completed by Wednesday, April 15 at 3PM.


All lots sold as is, where is. There is a 18% Buyers Premium for all lots purchased. Payment methods for non-vehicle & non-equipment is cash, Visa, Master Card or Discover card.

Preview available online 24/7. Live preview is also available by appointment by calling our office at 845-635-3169, option 7.

Items are located at the Absolute Auction Center: 45 South Ave, Pleasant Valley, NY 12569.

Click More Info/Bid Now for additional photos.

Auction Info
Over 170 lots of African art. Items include women's indigo wraps. Marka/Dafing people, Burkina Faso; Dan headdress, Liberia; large carved Mali-style African drum; old currency spears. Tuareg people, Mali & Niger; rod puppet head of Dankalankule, the Oryx antelope; Bandaka “jellyfish” form currency. Mambila & Chamba people; pendants, Coptic Christian people, Ethiopia; leg band. Mongo & Konda people, Congo; Koranko body mask, Guinea, Sierra Leone; abstract bogolan textile. Bamana people, Mali; ceremonial snake-form bayonet/knife. Lobi people, Burkina Faso; ceremonial blacksmith’s hammer, Northern Nigeria; wedding blanket. Tuareg people, Niger & Mali; West African heddle pulleys. (A) Senufo people, Ivory Coast; maternity figure. Lokko people, Sierra Leone; male Chi Wara head crest mask. Bamana people, Mali; rare Asafo flag bearer/dancer's skirt. Fante people, Ghana & more. Items are located in Pleasant Valley, NY.

Payment is due by Monday, April 13 at 1PM. All lots are subject to seller approval.

Information with payment & pickup instructions will be emailed to winning bidders the morning after the auction ends.

Pickup is by appointment only & must be completed by Wednesday, April 15 at 3PM.


All lots sold as is, where is. There is a 18% Buyers Premium for all lots purchased. Payment methods for non-vehicle & non-equipment is cash, Visa, Master Card or Discover card.

Preview available online 24/7. Live preview is also available by appointment by calling our office at 845-635-3169, option 7.

Items are located at the Absolute Auction Center: 45 South Ave, Pleasant Valley, NY 12569.

Click More Info/Bid Now for additional photos.


Categories:
KNOTTED TWISTED COIL MANILLA BRACELET (BOUCHIE). Yoruba people, Nigeria. This extraordinary example of a blacksmith's skill was made from a single heated copper rod. The flared ends of the coiled rod are held in hairpin knots, and there is a twisted knot in the middle of the coil. The knot is a symbol of permanence. To appreciate how difficult it is to make this bracelet from a hot copper rod, one can attempt to duplicate it with a soft stick of cool licorice. The technique by which this was accomplished is no longer known to African blacksmiths who now make reproductions by casting copper in molds. This authentic example which dates from the latter part of the 18th century was excavated in the 1950s. Knotted, twisted manillas were highly prized and used as currency in important transactions. They were also a store of wealth and as such were sometimes in or near a home. Copper. Diameter 5in.

Track this Item

More Details
KNOTTED TWISTED COIL MANILLA BRACELET (BOUCHIE). Yoruba people, Nigeria. This extraordinary example of a blacksmith's skill was made from a single heated copper rod. The flared ends of the coiled rod are held in hairpin knots, and there is a twisted knot in the middle of the coil. The knot is a symbol of permanence. To appreciate how difficult it is to make this bracelet from a hot copper rod, one can attempt to duplicate it with a soft stick of cool licorice. The technique by which this was accomplished is no longer known to African blacksmiths who now make reproductions by casting copper in molds. This authentic example which dates from the latter part of the 18th century was excavated in the 1950s. Knotted, twisted manillas were highly prized and used as currency in important transactions. They were also a store of wealth and as such were sometimes in or near a home. Copper. Diameter 5in.

Track this Item

Closes On: Apr 9, 2026
07:36:00 PM – 07:36:30 PM EST

Starting Bid:
$1.00

Auction Type: One Lot
Quantity: 1

Minimum Next Bid: $1.00 bid increments


Login to Bid