Gan Bronze Pendant: Depiction of Figure Eight Serpent

Figure-eight loop with cross-hatched skin ends in a small snail curl.

This bronze pendant depicting a figure-eight serpent is Gan, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Gan metalworkers in Burkina Faso cast small bronze pendants by the lost-wax technique, many of them in the form of animals. Pendant formed as a slim, twisting figure eight covered in a diagonal crosshatch pattern. A small loop sits at the top, while the lower end finishes in a rounded curl. The metal is dark brown with golden highlights. It is 1.38 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 4 high.

One twist, no beginning and a great sense of rhythm.