Kusu Boloko Currency

Like many pieces of traditional African metalwork, this sculptural u-shaped currency piece served multiple purposes within the Kusu tribe of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Known as "boloko," the arched currency was forged of iron, a material so valuable and versatile that it was traded as currency in major life transactions. With rustic character, this iron currency looks especially striking as a sculptural object atop a sideboard or console table.