Ritual Iron

Unlike brass, or the so-called African bronze used by many ethnicities through the wax procedure lost for centuries, iron has always been of a rather restricted use, except for tillage tools. As ritual use very few ethnic groups have worked it, mainly in West Africa, placing the irons dogon, bambara, senufo and lobi the best known. The most represented figures refer to the primordial animals of their cosmogonies, snake, lizard or alligator, chameleon, turtle or some highly simplified anthropomorphic figures. They work in iron until heated to live heat, cut the shape with a chisel and with a hammer and hammer they mold the piece until they get the desired shape. They are usually made of a single piece, if there is more than one welds are obtained by melting and sometimes riveted. They are kept in sanctuaries or in family altars. This figure is also used as a currency.