Dogon Bronze Cuff, Mali, Based

A wide cuff, scored with fine hatching and crowded with tiny figures along its edge.

Dogon metalworkers of Mali, West Africa, made this bronze cuff in the late 19th or early 20th century. Cast cuffs and bracelets in the region are commonly worn as ornament and as markers of status. This one flares open on one side and is covered in a close, woven-looking texture. A raised band along one edge carries small figures and low relief, with little spurs hanging below. The inside is dark and the outer surface a muted gold-brown.

About 3 inches across. Mounted on a slim rod, it looks like a very small throne.