Aesthetic Fulani Expression of Jewelry

Fulani wear amulets (lohol) as both decorative and protective pieces. Women wear heavy twisted gold earrings (dibi), gold necklaces (caaka), and copper or white metal bracelets, round or open with bulging extremities, and delicately engraved with dotted lines. Blacksmiths used to make heavy and thick anklets that gave young Wodaabe women a “cowlike” step, much appreciated in this herders’ culture. Women from other Fulani groups wore copper or brass leg ornaments or anklets made by the lost-wax casting process. These rings might once have served as currency. are decorated with geometric designs that reflect Fulani symbolism and bear the influence of Tuareg and Berber aesthetics. Objects are tinted in bright colors of red, yellow, or white and green, and often feature long fringes. Some of the designs are cross-ethnic: the zigzag bordered by parallel lines, for instance, is shared by Fulani and Dogon alike.