Cameroonian Figural Ring Depicting Bird

A heavy ring carrying a small animal figure with its ears up.

This figural bronze ring depicting a bird is from Cameroon, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is cast bronze. Birds appear in many African arts and are often associated with ideas such as vigilance, communication or the movement between earth and sky, though meanings vary by community. A thick, uneven band supports a compact, upright creature with a swept-back crest or ears and a short snout. The casting is crude and sturdy, with a pitted, olive-brown surface and brighter yellow metal showing at worn edges. It is 1.25 inches wide, 1 deep and 2 high.

Built for a thick finger and a stubborn spirit.