Neck ring

Object Details

Undetermined artist

Label Text

With their practical and technical knowledge, African metalsmiths and casters create utilitarian objects and elaborate works of art. Archaeologists now estimate Africans have smelted ore, traded metal and cast or forged tools, weapons and objects for 5,000 years--long before European contact. After foreign trade routes were established, the arduous process of refining raw ores, which required large amounts of charcoal, was replaced by the less labor intensive pattern of buying iron rods and ingots of copper or brass that could be melted at the forge. At other times imported metal objects were melted down and recycled. With the increased availability of raw materials, the production of imaginative and intricate tools, weapons, jewelry, sculptures and currency flourished. Many individuals and communities stored, traded and displayed their wealth in the form of jewelry and nonfunctional currency blades rather than as coins or bar ingots.

Simple and elegant, this silver neck ring was probably made from Austrian silver coins known as Maria Theresa thalers. These coins were the standard trade currency from the 18th to the 20th century and were particularly prized in Ethiopia.

Description

Silver alloy circlet with coiled ends.

Provenance

Joseph and Patricia Brumit, Sun City West, 1968 to 2004

Exhibition History

African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 8, 2019)

African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013

Content Statement

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Credit Line

Gift of Joseph and Patricia Brumit

Mid-20th century

Object number

2004-7-59

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Jewelry

Medium

Silver alloy

Dimensions

H x W x D: 12.6 x 14.4 x 0.7 cm (4 15/16 x 5 11/16 x 1/4 in.)

Geography

Ethiopia

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

male

Record ID

nmafa_2004-7-59

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7a845e307-951d-4f51-805f-e9efce27c8ac