Many forms of wax cast bangles are found all over West and Central Africa. They are used as a form of currency and provide status to the wearer. Their value lies in the metal itself, and in the amount of intricate ornamentation. They are forged onto a bride’s arm as part of her wedding dowry. These objects are made by the lost wax process which involves the making of the bangle in wax first. Clay is packed around the wax, then the wax is melted out of the clay, and molten bronze is poured into the hollow mold.
