Yoruba Torque Currency

With a graceful curve and a fantastic aged patina, this bronze currency piece of the Yoruba people of Nigeria stands out as a captivating sculptural object. Known as a "torque," the heavy cast form was created by melting down manilla bracelets, lesser currency pieces used by European traders for minor transactions. Owning a bronze torque reflected one's amassed wealth, and was used as a great display of social prestige. As a result, a torque such as this was often gifted as a wedding dowry, and the social standing of the groom's family was reflected in the size and symmetry of the piece. Mounted on a custom steel stand, the torque lives on as a striking sculptural object.