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Grouping of 5 Manillas, Okpoho, Nigeria, 19th Century
About the Item
Manillas are horse-shoe shaped, made of an open circle of bronze, brass, or copper with enlarged finial terminations. They were used as a currency in West African countries from the 15th up to the late 20th century. Manillas were brought to West Africa by European traders where they were exchanged for goods such as pepper, ivory, leopard skins, and, later, slaves. During the Transatlantic slave trade manillas were a frequent medium "currency" of exchange for slaves.
Manillas are named after the Portuguese or Spanish word for bangle.
The numbers are the inventory numbers from Penn State University and Lehigh University.
Exhibited: The Pennsylvania State University - Museum of Art permanent collection; The Lehigh University - Art Galleries permanent collection. Provenance: The collection of Dr and Mrs John E. Swanson.
Dr John Swanson and his wife Marian lived from 1966 - 1981 in Lagos, Nigeria where Dr Swanson was the Advisor to the National Universities Commission and later on the Chief Planning Officer of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
During their time in Africa, the Swansons started to collect African art. In 1973 a part of their collection, circa 120 pieces went on loan to The Pennsylvania State University Museum of Art, where they remained until 1978.
In 1981 Dr Swanson passed away and his wife Marian never returned to Africa. In 1982 Mrs Swanson lent 130 pieces to the Lehigh University Art Gallery where they remained until 1987. A few pieces were also lent to Lafayette College - Williams Art Center for an exhibition titled "Plainly Geometric - Selections of Art from West Africa".
In 2018 Mrs Swanson passed away.
- Dimensions:Height: 0.71 in (1.8 cm)Width: 2.37 in (6 cm)Depth: 2.33 in (5.9 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 5
- Style:Tribal (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading. Excellent patina and traces of vert-de gris. Signs of previous use, tarnish, dings and scrapes, very solid pieces.
- Seller Location:Aramits, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6432238824922
About the Seller
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1stDibs seller since 2022
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- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
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