Baule castings are some of the most beautiful in world and this one is particularly special because of its gold content, which gives the face a particularly lovely bright shine. The face has an elaborate traditional woven woman's hairdo, with several ritual scars on the cheek that were traditionally thought to enhance beauty. One of the best things about this type of art is that you can see the evidence that this is hand-made. On this particular pendant, you can see where the pendant was detached from the tubes that carried the molten metal through the clay mold. The molding mark is just below the lip and includes several small holes in the metal. While the mold mark is visible from the front, in no way detracts from the beauty of this piece. Also note that there is a slight crack visible upon close inspection from the forehead down to the nose. The crack was skillfully repaired and is most visible from the back. There's even two small pinholes that allow a little light through where the repair didn't completely take. We see no evidence that the cracks are structural, but it's always prudent to be careful with a piece like this. Provenance: Scanzi Collection, Italia