Kasena Stone Armband, Ghana

Big, broad and mildly oval, with the posture of a well-fed bangle.

This armband is Kasena, from Northern Ghana, West Africa. It is granite. A ring worn on the upper arm or wrist is one of the oldest forms of body ornament, found in many cultures and in many materials. Large ring in dark olive brown with a thick rolled band and a smooth, slightly worn surface. The inner face slopes inward, and a reddish tint shows near the lower opening. It is 0.5 inches deep and 4.25 in diameter.

Substantial in every direction and quietly pleased about it.