Dong Son Bronze Bracelet - bangle

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Hollow open C-bar Bracelet
Dong Son culture (Northern Vietnam and extension area in Southeast Asia)
Bronze Age, ca. 5th century BC – 1st century AD
Lost-wax cast bronze
17.5 cm x 9.5 cm
1.3 kg

Bronze ornamental bracelet, made using the lost-wax technique. The band adopts a tubular, hollow, semi-toroidal profile, reflecting the Dong Son metalworkers' mastery in creating objects that are light yet voluminous.

The outer contour is restrained and emphasizes the purity of the line. The metallic surface showcases an archaeological surface patina of excavation that is particularly authentic, with a green copper carbonate (malachite) background, speckled with whitish sedimentary concretions and strongly cemented ochre-brown earth residues.

In the protohistoric communities of the Dong Son culture, bronze bracelets were one of the most common forms of body adornment, worn by both men and women. Beyond their obvious aesthetic value, these ornaments signaled the social status and the ease of their owner within the clan, bronze remaining a precious and highly symbolic metal. Locally produced or integrated into the exchange circuits of the Indochina peninsula, these bracelets were routinely deposited in large numbers in burial sites, strung on the limbs of the deceased or laid beside them to accompany them in the afterlife.

State of conservation:
Good structural conservation. The bronze cuff has perfectly preserved its original curvature and integrity, with no major deformation. The natural excavation patina has been preserved in its raw state, without abrasive cleaning, highlighting its archaeological interest.

Provenance: Kanaka The Collection Portugal

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