Gan Bronze Pendant: Depiction of Serpent

One snake, one S-curve, and not a wasted line.

A Gan metalworker of Burkina Faso, West Africa, cast this pendant of a serpent in bronze in the 20th century. Serpent pendants are commonly associated with protection and are often worn on a cord. A long body curves in a gentle S from a pointed tail to a small, flat head, with a ringed neck and two bulbous eyes. Fine crosshatching covers the body, and a dark brown patina has a soft sheen. Nothing about it is hurried.

About four and a half inches long. A slender accent for a desk or shelf.