Kasena Stone Armband, Ghana

Blue-grey with a bold cream stripe that would not be ignored.

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. Thick ring in dusky blue-grey with thin pale lines and a wide cream band slashing across the upper right. The inner rim shows a rougher brown texture, and the outer surface is smooth. It is 0.5 inches deep.

A striking stripe on an otherwise modest ring.