Ekonda Puddle Casting Form

Although absurdly heavy, Ekonda anklets served as both jewelry and tribal currency. To make the cylindrical leg bands Ekonda casters spread a mulch of beaten banana plant pith on the earth and impressed a wooden form into it. The form was carefully removed from the silken paste. The impression was then presumably allowed to dry or stiffen before molten copper alloy was poured into it. While still soft and smoking hot the casting was picked up with tongs and beaten into the desired size cylinder. Incised details were later worked into the surface. Not surprisingly, Ekonda forms are greatly outnumbered by the castings they produced. This is a fine example, many decades old and worn from repeated use. 14″ long; mounted on a custom base.

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