Lot 429

Group of 6 Kotoko Brass Equestrian Talismans

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Group of 6 Kotoko Brass Equestrian Talismans

Estimate: $400 - $600

Starting Bid: $200

(0 Bids)

by Artemis Fine Arts
July 30, 2026 8:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

West Africa, Chad/Cameroon, Kotoko, ca. 19th to mid-20th century CE. Six cast brass equestrian figures of varying scale, each rider mounted on a stylized horse. The group includes a double-rider figure and one example mounted on a ring band. Among the Kotoko, such figures functioned as protective talismans worn or carried to deflect misfortune, the mounted warrior serving as an emblem of spiritual authority across the Sahel region.

The Kotoko people, settled along the rivers and shores of the Lake Chad basin straddling Chad, Cameroon, and northeastern Nigeria, trace their heritage to the earlier Sao civilization renowned for its bronze and terracotta production. Cast brass and bronze talismans of horsemen, riders, and animals were produced by specialist smiths and acquired through marabouts or diviners, who prescribed them as protective devices against illness, sorcery, and ill fortune. The mounted figure carried particular potency in a region where cavalry signified political and military dominance, lending the wearer a share of that authority. Worn, carried in pouches, or kept in the home, these objects belong to a living devotional and apotropaic tradition rather than a purely decorative one.

Provenance: private Louisville, Kentucky, USA collection, acquired 1990-1998

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Item # 203571

  • Condition: Green patina and oxidation. Rubbing and softening to surfaces, but overall good conditions.

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