Gan Bronze Pendant: Double Serpent with Opposing Heads

Two heads face away from each other, and neither one blinks.

Gan metalworkers of Burkina Faso, West Africa, cast this double serpent pendant with opposing heads in bronze in the 20th century. Serpents are commonly associated with protection and spiritual energy in this region, and bronze pendants of this kind are often worn as charms. Two long, flat heads angle outward from a figure-eight body, with the loops giving the piece a graceful symmetry. The bodies are smooth with lightly incised bands, and the metal has a golden tan color with dark crevices.

About three inches tall, on a slim black stand. It looks like two arrows that never got released.