Lot 1072

Description

Primitive money, Africa, Katanga, Katanga cross, 18.5cms high, 16cms wide. Very fine, scarce.

This X-shaped ingot of cast copper, usually referred to as a Katanga Cross, comes from Katanga, a rich mining region in the south-eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) along the Kasai River. It is the classic currency associated with the region and probably the best known form of African tribal currency. For centuries these crosses served as indications of wealth and were used for dowry payments and trade. Since they have been found in burial sites, they have also been associated with funerary rituals.