3 Old Gurunsi / Frafra Bracelets – Burkina Faso

Bronze, lost-wax casting. Weight: 165.1 g (5.82 oz). Approximate outer diameter: 8.5 cm (3.35 in); inner diameter: 7.0 cm (2.76 in).

The Frafra are one of the principal Gurunsi-speaking peoples of northern Ghana, particularly concentrated around the Bolgatanga region, with related communities extending into southern Burkina Faso. Traditionally agricultural, they are renowned for their rich artistic heritage, including metalwork, personal adornments, architecture, and ritual objects.

The Gurunsi constitute a group of related ethnic communities inhabiting northern Ghana and southern-central Burkina Faso. According to oral traditions, they trace their origins to regions further east in the western Sudan area. Although the precise chronology of their migrations remains uncertain, they are believed to have settled in their present territories many centuries ago.

Following the rise of the Mossi kingdoms to the north from the fifteenth century onward, Gurunsi communities were periodically subjected to slave-raiding expeditions. Despite these pressures, the various Gurunsi peoples, including the Frafra, largely maintained their political autonomy and distinct cultural traditions.

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