One ”King” djemba from Niger, 1880-1920 A highly collectible West African artifact. A solid copper Djerma (Zarma) bracelet from Niger weighing over 1 kilo is not just a piece of jewelry—it is classified as a prestige armlet or manilla currency.  Historically, copper was considered the "red gold" of West Africa. Pieces of this scale were used as storehouses of wealth, for major trade transactions, or as a bride price (dowry). Because yours weighs over a kilogram, it is considered a "massive" or "King" piece, which puts it into a premium bracket for collectors of ethnographic and tribal art. ”the uses of copper were many and changed from time to time and from place to place, the evidence of written, archaeological and artistic sources suggests that they fall largely into four broad and overlapping categories: a medium or standard of exchange, ornamentation, insignia of rank and power, and objects of cult and magic in a narrower sense.” The Djemba is in very good shape.