Gan Bronze Pendant: Depiction of Coiled Serpent

A fan-shaped plaque of concentric arcs, topped with a loop and finished with curled feet.

This pendant depicting a coiled serpent is Gan, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. The Gan people of Burkina Faso are known for small cast brass and bronze figures, made by lost-wax casting, that include animals as well as human forms. A semicircular face is engraved with nested arcs and a crosshatched edge. A small loop rises from the top, and the base narrows to a stem with spiral curls and a tiny knobbed head. Dark brown with pale tones in the lines. It is 2.5 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 3.75 high.

All arcs and curls, and not an idle surface anywhere.