This bracelet, like much jewelry, is more than mere decoration. It is a symbol of status, wealth, and power. This dense bracelet is heavy and would have been quite discomforting to wear. Instead, it functioned as a form of currency. In a bartering society, an object such as this would be highly prized for the status it conveys. Thus this bracelet was more than just a bracelet, but a possession to be flaunted and later on exchanged. The Kota people, like the vast majority of African tribes, were ancestor worshippers. Most bracelets of this type were discovered in buried woven basket containing the physical remains of the deceased as well as such prized possessions. Thus even in the afterlife, this magnificent work of bronze would continue to signify the social influence of the owner.
- (PF.5582)
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