West Africa, Mali or Burkina Faso, Dogon or Mossi, ca. mid-19th to 20th century CE. A gorgeous pair of bracelets hand-carved from Hombori marble, presenting a simple yet elegant form with a nicely polished exterior. Each presents a natural surface characteristic of Hombori marble: a deep black with pearly white striations and inclusions. The much-coveted Hombori marble is mined by the local villagers of Hombori mountain in Mali at quarry sites owned by each village chief. Considered both dangerous and sacred, miners often sacrifice a chicken or sheep before their dig to insure a bountiful yield and a safe return. Though the bracelets were initially made by the local villagers and then traded, the tradition has now spread to many groups throughout western Africa and the Sahara Dessert. These bracelets are believed to serve as good luck charms and have apotropaic capabilities. According to one craftsman, "Everyone wears a bracelet because one knows that, with it on arm, one risks nothing." Size of larger: 4.4" Diameter x 1.5" W (11.2 cm x 3.8 cm)

Similar examples can be found in the Peabody Museum of Art and Archaeology under accession number 988-18-50/12432 and Christopher D. Roy's "Art of the Upper Volta Rivers" (1987), p. 80. The information on Hombori marble, as well as the quote from the craftsman, was found in the article "Stone Bracelet Production in Mali" by Anne Carmagnani and Pailler Yvan (2009, 'Internet Archaeology', 10.11141/ia.26.16).

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173532

Chipping and abrasions to areas of more petite bracelet. Larger has a few nicks to peripheries. Otherwise, both are intact with nicely polished exteriors and light earthen deposits.