Austria Gold Bracelet Bangle Jewelry 66

Austria Gold Bracelet Bangle Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

While there are many theories surrounding the orijin of manillas, it is known that it was worn by women along the West African coast as a symbol of their husband’s wealth. The horseshoe shaped bracelet or ‘bangels’ are often decorated with balls on each end. In its inception, these bracelets/’bangles’ were predominantly made from copper as it was the “red gold” of Africa. Noticing the importance of this piece of jewellery to West African, Portuguese merchants began to produce these pieces as a means of currency.

Most West Indians refer to them as ‘bangles’ however, historically they are known as manillas or okpoho/Okombo/abi.  Once a form of currency for West African peoples, manillas would become one of the main currencies of choice during the slave trade to the Americas. Their usage during this time in history was of such prevalence that they were often referred to as “slave trade money.”