Kabye currency of Togo. Piece over 100 years old delivered on a base.
The African continent is particularly rich in so-called “primitive” currencies.
Many are made of black iron, a particularly sought-after metal, others are made of copper, more precious than gold, brought by the Portuguese to pay slaves, others made of glass beads, human or animal teeth...
The list would be long, but each coin is an artistic treasure...
All the currencies presented were used to finalize transactions between individuals or tribes.
They could also be used for individual purposes, to buy livestock, consumer goods or serve as a dowry for a marriage.
These coins were sometimes worn as ornaments, and were passed down through the lineage.
This type of object present in Northern Togo is considered a prestige object used during dances as well as an arm shield.
The Kabyés are a West African people established in northern Togo, Benin and Ghana.
The Kabyés are mainly known for their terraced agriculture in the Kabyés mountains (Atacora range). Kabyé means “stone farmer” in allusion to the land they cultivate from where the farmers extract numerous stones used to make the terrace walls.
The Kabyé culture is very rich and still very significant today through its traditional habitat, its rites of passage for different age groups (struggles, chicotte festival, Waa, dance of the virgins, etc.).