Chamba Prestige Currency | Finial, Based

Product ID: A2400-165
Chamba Peoples
Nigeria, West Africa
Early 20th C.
Bronze
$4,495.00

About this piece

Money, once, looked like this, and it could not be folded.

This prestige currency, or finial, is Chamba work from Nigeria, early 20th century, made of bronze. In parts of West Africa, unusual metal forms served as stored wealth, exchanged in marriage payments or displayed as signs of status, rather than spent on everyday goods. A thick crescent opens at the top into two thin arms that zigzag upward, one ending in a leaf-shaped point and the other in a club. Green and rust tones mottle the surface. It is shown on a black metal base.

Try getting change for that.

Early Access

New pieces, sent to you before they are shown.

Scroll to Top