Nigerian Mounted Objects

Time-honored texture and form define this Nigerian copper sculptural object. The intricate geometry was achieved through a process known as scarification. The artisan would meticulou...

Stone mortar and pestle Nigeria 20th century Measures: Mortar: 21 x 15.5 x 2 in. / 53 x 39 x 5 cm Height on custom display stand: 26...

A striking example of West African material culture, this Igbo iron currency knife from Nigeria embodies the intersection of economy, artistry, and ritual within traditional African societies. Before the widespread adoption of coinage and paper money, many regions across Africa used forms of metal currency—objects whose intrinsic material value, craftsmanship, and symbolic form made them widely accepted as units of exchange. Among the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, iron currency objects such as knives, rods, and bracelets circulated not only as mediums of trade but also as markers of wealth, social status, and ceremonial exchange. This particular form—often referred to as a currency knife—features an elegantly curved profile with a tapering blade-like extension and finely incised surface decoration. Forged and hand-carved from iron, the piece demonstrates the remarkable skill of traditional blacksmiths, whose work held both practical and spiritual significance in Igbo culture. The etched geometric motifs along the surface speak to a visual language of craftsmanship passed through generations, transforming what was once a utilitarian object into a sculptural artifact rich with cultural meaning. Mounted on a custom-made platform for display, the piece now reads as a refined sculptural object. Its weathered iron patina, subtle textural variations, and dynamic crescent silhouette give it a commanding presence—equally compelling as a collectible ethnographic artifact or as a distinctive decorative accent in a contemporary interior. Today, objects like this Igbo currency...

West African hand beaded head dress crown from Yoruba, Nigeria. This artistic beautiful and functional art piece is covered with beads in turquoise, orange, green, yellow red, blue ...

Time honored texture and form define this Nigerian copper sculptural object. The intricate geometry was achieved through a process known as scarification. The artisan would meticulou...

A sculptural iron throwing knife attributed to the Marghi, Mofu, or Kapsiki peoples of northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon. Known broadly as a hunga munga, this form transcend...

A striking expression of pre-colonial value systems, this Igbo iron currency knife from southeastern Nigeria operates at the intersection of economy, ritual, and sculpture. Forged by...

2 African iron Bandaka hoe currency, Mabila and Chamba Peoples, Nigeria and Cameroon. The iron, hammered into the form of a hoe, was used as currency. Mounted they are wonderful pie...

A fine example of a early 20th century iron currency from the Afo tribe in Nigeria. Also called a hoe currency the abstract shape refers to the blade of a hoe as to symbolise the con...

Before coinage became standardized across West and Central Africa, wealth was often held in iron. In parts of present-day northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon, highly forged th...

West African hand beaded head dress crown from Yoruba, Nigeria. This artistic beautiful and functional art piece is covered with beads in ivory, red and black colors with faces bird...

This four-sided brass face bell, known as omo, was created by an artisan of the Ijebu Yoruba People of Southern Nigeria. A mark of the wearer's rank and power, the bell would have be...

Used as forms of currency, they could also serve as a musical or ritual object. Displayed on a custom mount.

This fascinating piece is an example of shovel currency, formerly used among the peoples of northern Nigeria as a form of monetary exchange. Forged iron would have been traded for go...

Nigerian currency crafted by the Fulani tribe. Outlawed in the 19th century by Colonel Phelps. The unusual forms and sizes of ethnographic currencies...

The Afo Bridal Currency was used in Nigeria until the early 1940s. This is also known as a "Chenkrom." Now mounted on a bronze stand.

Used as forms of currency, they could also serve as a musical or ritual object. Displayed on a custom mount.