Congolese Copper Manilla Currency, Based

Before there were banks along the coast, there were manillas.

This one, from the Republic of Congo, dates to the 18th or 19th century. The horseshoe-shaped ring circulated widely along the coasts of West and Central Africa, serving as money in trade. Cast in copper, it is large and heavy, eleven inches across, with a thick rounded arc ending in two flattened, flaring terminals.

The surface is a granular blue-green patina with darker patches beneath.

An arc, a wall, a bare shelf. It asks for little.