Torque/currency. Yoruba, Nigeria, late 19th-early 20th century.

Torque/currency. Yoruba, Nigeria, late 19th-early 20th century.
Brass.
Measurements: 26 cm (diameter).

This brass piece had great value among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Owning a brass torque reflected accumulated wealth and was used as a great sign of social prestige. As a result, a torque like this was often given as a wedding dowry, and the social standing of the groom's family was reflected in the size and symmetry of the piece.