Rao Pectoral in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2020

Pectoral (The Rao Pectoral) and Five Gold Beads
12th–13th century

Object Details

Title: Pectoral (The Rao Pectoral) and Five Gold Beads

Date: 12th–13th century

Geography: Senegal, Rao/Nguiguela

Medium: Gold

Dimensions: Pectoral: Diam. 7 1/4 in. (5.1 × 18.4 cm)

Classifications: Metal-Ornaments, Metalwork-Gold

Credit Line: Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal (IFAN) (41 32)

The exceptional quality and weight (6.7 ounces) of this pectoral make it the most impressive of the burial goods found at a site in northwest Senegal. Its decoration, elaborated in registers of bosses, arabesques, and diamond patterns made out of filigree, suggests an awareness of Islamic workmanship. The practice of erecting large mounds, or tumuli, over the graves of important individuals in the Sahel is related to commemorative practices and beliefs that preceded the arrival of Islam and continued well beyond its adoption into the fourteenth century.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/736511