Hausa Iron Currency, Nigeria, Based

Lantern, hoe, or money. In the Hausa blacksmith’s hands, it was the last.

Made in Nigeria in the 20th century, this iron currency stands just over three feet tall on its base. Across West Africa, iron fashioned from the forms of tools and blades served as a medium of exchange, in trade and in social payments such as bridewealth. A long, slender stem rises to an open frame of three straight prongs, crowned by a broad, rounded plate. The surface is a warm rust-brown, slightly granular.

It looks like a lantern for something larger than a candle. Light it with attention.