| A bronze/brass ring from the Kru in Liberia.
Due to its' very large size and weight, this is a very rare kru ríng
There are several cracks in the ring.
The rings basically belonged to a shrine, with the high priest as the custodian. It cannot be said how they are made; in fact, they are said to ‘appear’, traditionally from a sacred site on a stream or creek, in the forest. They then ‘walk’ to a rock and are found by the high priest. When the rings – usually in a pair – are emerging, the priest ‘hears’ the noise caused by the rings entangling each other and then collects Kru ring. The rings are normally stored in the home of the priest into which no ‘stranger’ is permitted entrance. At times, rings are placed at the entrance for males (never the entrance for women) of huts.
Lit.: The Perfect Form - On the Track of Tribal Currency - Roberto Ballarini |