Diviners would place bracelets next to larger carved wooden figures as shrine offerings during consultations with
the spirits.
The chameleon on the bracelet aided the
diviner to communicate with the spirit world to guide his clients. It is believed that the chameleon can see the future and the past simultaneously, and can also magically transform itself. It can thus be a spiritual guide.
Copper alloy.
Some of the bracelets were also worn by men and woman to provide protection of the spirits they embodied.
Provenance: Ex.Thomas G. B. Wheelock Collection, New York.
Height: ½" - the outer diameter is 3 ½". The chameleon itself is 1 ½" in length.
No stand with this piece.
