Lot 1567

Description

Primitive money, Nigeria, Congo and West Africa (Ivory Coast), manillas, anklets and collars, as circular bars with twisted outer circles, ornate nearly complete round rings, making up manillas etc., 60-65mm diameter. This extraordinary group of eight were recovered from the wreck of the English Schooner 'Douro' sunk off the Isles of Scilly in the United Kingdom on April 5, 1882 and recovered in 1995, (Opitz p.209-213, cf.Quiggin Plate 1 No.2, 5 etc). Very fine. (8)

Ex Barry McGown Scott Collection, one example from Salamanca Rare Coins, May 19, 2006.

All this lot come in a folder of research papers on manillas, together with certificates of signed authenticity by the salvers and various photocopied articles and papers about manillas and story of the "Douro".

Manillas were both decorative and ritualistic, playing a role in ceremonial customary practices connected with marriage and burial. A twisted or snake manilla signified the completion of a bride price transaction (Jeffreys, quoted in Johansson, p23). Dowry was contracted in terms of manillas as well as other payments, for example of goats, dogs, cloth and palm-oil. It is possible that these well and finely made manillas were what Talbot, (in Grey, 'Manillas') refers to as 'abi' or Prince manillas. They provided both stored wealth and symbols of status.