Malian Bronze Ring with Birds, Based

Small birds gather on the bezel, beaks together, like they are sharing gossip.

This ring with birds, based, is Djenne, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 19th century. It is bronze. Cast metal rings with animal and bird figures have been made in the Inland Niger Delta for a long time, and their imagery is generally associated with status and protection. A plain circular band supports a flat round platform. Small birds perch at its edge, wings raised, their heads bent toward the center. The bronze has a soft green patina throughout. It is mounted on a slim stand, 2 inches wide, 2 deep and 3 high.

A crowd on a ring is better than a crowd anywhere else.