Unidentified cameroonese trinket

[Yvain]

I was searching for cameroonese weapons pictures and stumbled three times upon those little trinkets, worn around the neck in the first two pictures, and laying on an ironmonger stall in the third one.


-first picture : Kirdi warrior, far-north Cameroon, 1932

-second picture : Muktele man, far-north Cameroon, 1968


-third picture : Ironmonger stall, Cameroon, 1982


Any idea what it is ? It does look like it has a purpose (outside of ornamental or symbolic) and I'm now curious of what it might be.

Thanks in advance for your answers !

[Martin Lubojacky]

Hello,
I don´t know the purpose,nevertheless I saw it in Maroua on the market many times from (2007 till 2011). I bought there one very old such pendant, made of copper (it is not with me, now).

[Martin Lubojacky]

Just to add: The pendant which has Kirdi warrior (1932) is similar to mine. Both of them are evoking tooth or claw. Maybe this could be the reason - decoration symbolizing the animal power ???

[Yvain]

Interesting, thank you for your answer ! Seeing them on an ironmonger stall made me think they had a practical purpose, but it could indeed just be a decorative symbolic pendant.

[Duccio]

Hello,
I have no certainty, but it could be tribal "coins", similar to those seen here.

The forms of the tribal "currency" (exchange objects) of Central Africa are the most varied and strange, it is a fascinating world.