VINTAGE DOGON AFRICAN AMBER & BRONZE/BRASS MANILLAS 15" LONG - RARE TRIBAL ITEM

Description

VINTAGE DOGON AFRICAN AMBER & BRONZE/BRASS MANILLAS
15" LONG
This is a string (
about 30" long)
of African Amber (aka Copal Amber) orange
colored beads
The string is divided by a large yellow barrel shaped bead of African Amber
Hanging from the strand are five Manillas, one of which is engraved. The owner
was told that the manillas are made of bronze & brass (but, if the metal is bronze, brass or iron ---- or a mix, is not known)
The beads and manillas are strung on braided cord and knotted on top.
The necklace hangs about 15" long
It is heavy and weighs about  207 grams
In color and design a very unusual collector's item of tribal jewelry
The current owner directly purchased the necklace from the Chief of the Dogon village of Ende, Mali, in 2008
Please look at all the photos which part of the description & condition of this necklace
Sold "as is" & "as pictured"
Why selling? Down sizing
Note.
Manillas
are a form of money usually made of bronze or iron
which were used in West Africa. They were produced in large numbers in a wide range of designs, sizes, and weights.
Manillas continued to serve as money and decorative objects until the late 1940s and are still sometimes used as decoration.