Manilla
Artist/Maker
Artist Unknown
(Artist Unknown)
Datecollected 1960-1973
Mediumcopper lead alloy
DimensionsOverall: 3/4 x 2 3/8 x 2 3/8 in. (1.9 x 6 x 6 cm)
ClassificationsExchange Media
Credit LineGift of Professor and Mrs. Robert R. Ferens
Terms
Object number91.0474.90
DescriptionCast in several standard weights, the European-produced manilla was a trade currency used in West Africa from the late 1400s to the early 1900s. It is not clear why the C-form was used, but the name derives from the Portugese word for "hand." In the Benin Kingdom, manillas were melted and cast into works of art.On View
Not on viewCollections