The sophisticated cultures flourishing simultaneously in West Africa weren’t part of the story. Coins from the mint at Sijilmasa, famed for using only the purest gold, circulated widely throughout North Africa, Asia and beyond. Their forms, and the decorative flourishes of text around the rim, were imitated by later West African metalworkers. 14th-century copper statue from IfeThe most extraordinary objects in the show were made in West Africa itself. In artists’ workshops, these coins of African gold were hammered into gossamer-thin leaves and applied to the background of countless panel paintings from Flanders to Ferrara.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 27, 2021 13:05 UTC