Large Fine Bronze Amulet – Torfan – Burkina Faso

20th century. Bronze, leather. Dimensions: 15.0 cm high × 13.7 cm wide (5.91 × 5.39 in). Weight: 248 g (8.75 oz).

Lost-wax casting. The mould is destroyed after each casting, making every piece unique.

“The Torfan are spiritual entities that may have one or more heads, sometimes up to ten, and manifest themselves in different forms. These amulets possess great power, which increases with the number of heads they bear. Any owner of a Torfan is necessarily a healer. The Torfan is used to reveal the hidden, malevolent side of evil people. Through the power of the Torfan, the healer is able to intervene and bring healing. This is not an invention, but a long-standing tradition handed down by my ancestors.”

Diviner Khama Sinsi, quoted on p. 32 of Bronzes Gan – La Spirale du Serpent by Bertrand Goy and Maine Durieu.

For additional information and comparable examples, see Bronzes Gan – La Spirale du Serpent, Bertrand Goy and Maine Durieu, Éditions Sépia, 2005, an important reference work examining Gan bronzes from both thematic and aesthetic perspectives.

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