Horn pendant with chain Date Unknown

This pendant was made by the Vai people with horn, silver, and iron. The horn has been carefully shaped into a gentle curve, polished to bring out the wood grain, and capped with silver and iron at each end. You can see the craftsman’s hand in the hammered silver, decorated with incised designs and embellishments. The attached chain is skillfully handmade, each link connected to the next with painstaking labor. The use of natural materials, combined with metalworking, speaks to the intersection of indigenous craft traditions and imported materials from trade networks. This pendant isn’t just personal adornment; it’s a statement of cultural identity, made tangible through material and process. It exemplifies how craft traditions persist and evolve, embodying social and cultural significance far beyond simple aesthetics.