Arm ornament, Gan, Burkina Faso - Lot 94

Arm ornament, Gan, Burkina Faso Early 20th century Bronze Diameter: 10 cm Provenance : Maine Durieu Collection, Paris French private collection ---- Gan arm ornament, Burkina Faso Early 20th century Bronze Diameter: 10 cm Provenance : Maine Durieu Collection, Paris French private collection A dual symbol par excellence, the snake - the simultaneous embodiment of good and evil, light and shadow, clarity and sorcery - is a recurrent and central figure in the production of Gan bronzes. The snake motif, a "conventional sign of sacred covenant", takes on a multitude of forms: taut, spiral, sinuous or arabesque, sometimes with several heads and almost always with prominent eyes. This ubiquitous iconography has its origins in a founding myth, embodied in the figure of the torfan, a serpent-like creature with multiple heads, linked to the royal figure. Christopher D. Roy explains that "this spirit is said to take a zoomorphic, often serpentine form, and to be semi-aquatic, hiding in the water, where it transforms into a multi-headed spirit creature that sucks the blood of its victims before paralyzing them with an electric shock." (In Land of the Flying Masks: Art & Culture in Burkina Faso, the Thomas G. B. Wheellock Collection, 2007). Representing the forces of evil, it nevertheless confers on its bearer the power to combat them, as Bertrand Goy points out. A protector of people, crops and animals, the torfan has an apotropaic role, and maintains a close link with the living world. It embodies strength, faith, light, transparency and protection, while relegating darkness to the realm of sorcerers. Its reproduction in metal enabled its bearers to invest it as a protective talisman. This arm ornament, made using the traditional lost-wax technique, takes the form of a torfan snake. The lower part is elegantly wavy and openworked, while the upper face offers a delicate, stylized representation of the mythical animal. The face is dominated by two bulbous, protruding eyes with pronounced pupils. The schematic body, with its central rib, is marked by subtle scale-like motifs. The virtuosity of this bracelet's metalwork lends the torfan its spiritual power and symbolic significance. An archetype of duality, the serpent-simultaneously embodying good and evil, light and shadow, clarity and witchcraft-frequently appears in the production of Gan bronzes, where it holds a central position. The serpent motif, a "conventional sign of sacred alliance," takes on many forms: stretched, coiled, sinuous, or stylized into arabesques, sometimes with multiple heads and almost always featuring prominent eyes. This ubiquitous iconography stems from a foundational myth, embodied in the figure of the torfan, a multi-headed serpentine creature associated with the royal figure. Christopher D. Roy clarifies that "this spirit would take on a zoomorphic form, often serpentine, and be semi-aquatic, hiding in the water, where it transforms into a multi-headed spiritual being that sucks the blood of its victims before paralyzing them with an electric discharge." (In Land of the Flying Masks: Art & Culture in Burkina Faso, the Thomas G. B. Wheellock Collection, 2007). Representing the forces of evil, it nonetheless grants its holder the power to combat them, as Bertrand Goy points out. Protector of humans, crops, and animals, the torfan plays an apotropaic role and maintains a close connection with the world of the living. It embodies strength, faith, light, transparency, and protection, while relegating darkness to the realm of sorcerers. Its reproduction in metal allowed its holders to invest it as a protective talisman. This arm ornament, made using the traditional lost-wax technique, takes the form of the torfan serpent. The lower part showcases an elegant, undulating, and pierced design, while the upper side presents a delicate, stylized representation of the mythical animal. The face is dominated by two bulging, prominent eyes, each with pronounced pupils. The schematic body, marked by a central rib, is adorned with subtle patterns evoking scales. The metallurgical virtuosity of this bracelet imbues the torfan with its full spiritual strength and symbolic significance. In good used condition, beautiful material with some crusty, shiny and darker residues. Slight traces of oxidation in places. In good condition, beautiful material on which appear some crumbly, shiny and darker residues. Slight traces of oxidation in places.