Manilla

Object Details

Igbo artist

Label Text

Manillas were open bracelets cast from copper or brass; in later years they were composed of a mixture of other metals. Produced in various sizes and weights, they were circulated widely, especially along the West African equatorial coast, from the late 15th to the early 20th century. Coiled manillas like this one were cast in Birmingham, England, and traded as currency in West Africa. Three types of manillas exist. The smaller standard size was often amassed and then taken to a blacksmith, who melted and reformed it into the larger size. The other two types are the so-called queen manillas, and the larger specimens, or king manillas, which were considered stored wealth. Some manillas were decorated with incised designs or a second coil of metal twisted around the shank. The quality of the ringing sound and the amount of "flash," or excess metal, extruded at the joints of the mold helped to determine their value. Metalsmiths from the kingdom of Benin, part of present-day Nigeria, melted down imported manillas and recast the metal into works of art.

By 1911 manillas ceased to be legal tender. In compliance with the "Manilla Currency Ordinance" of 1919, foreign traders were prohibited from using them for trade with the local people. Despite these measures, manillas continued to be used side by side with the new money introduced by the West African Currency Board. During the 1940s and 1950s, an extensive campaign was activated to redeem all manillas still in circulation. However, some are still found in private households to this day.

Description

Four-coiled manilla with ends flared out into round shapes.

Provenance

African trader, New York, -- to 1997

Jean and Noble Endicott, New York, 1997 to 2000

Exhibition History

The Art of African Currency, International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C., April 4-November 22, 2002

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Credit Line

Gift of Drs. Jean and Noble Endicott

Late 19th-early 20th century

Object number

2000-28-5

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Sculpture

Medium

Copper alloy

Dimensions

H x W x D: 7.8 x 14.7 x 9.2 cm (3 1/16 x 5 13/16 x 3 5/8 in.)

Geography

Nigeria

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

male

Trade

Currency

Record ID

nmafa_2000-28-5

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys77599fc8e-52e4-467c-9df9-07be0d67d68a