Congolese Handa or Cross Currency, Based

Quietly, a fat X-shaped bar in reddish brown, lifted onto a thin stand.

This handa or cross currency is from Kasai, Katanga, Kasai River, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is metal. Handa, or cross shaped copper currency, was used among peoples of the Congo region, and it is generally linked to the long regional trade in copper from Katanga. Displayed plainly, a flat X-shaped form with rounded arm ends, in reddish brown with patches of green and pale crust. The surface is slightly uneven and pitted. Small clips hold it to a slim black rod rising from a flat black base. It is 2.6 inches wide, 2 deep and 5.75 high.

Two crossing arms and no further explanation.