Worn by royalty or a person of high rank, this
fabulous bracelet is both a decorative ornament
and a superb sculpture. The intricate design
interweaves four figures amidst abstract shapes
and open areas. The figures resemble the
ancestral couples of the Onile,; in this case the
two pairs of male and female are inverted, with
the males' sex organs clearly depicted, and the
female breasts cleverly made of coils. The
couples seem to swirl around the cylinder,
revolving endlessly within their own world of
perfect harmony and stability. Detailed areas give
the impression of plants, of palm leaves and
ferns, of jungle growth representing earth where
deities appear at propitious moments during
ritual celebrations. The power of this bracelet
goes beyond beauty, into uncharted realms of
myth and spirits of the other world.
- (PF.4896)
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