Congo/Gabon, Kwele People, Mandjong Iron Money in the Form of an Anchor

The Kwele people live in the Shana region, in the northwest of the Republic of Congo. Until the 1980s the Kwele used such anchor-formed objects to pay the bride price. Previously, in the early 20th century, these objects, called mandjong, were also used to buy goods, especially caoutchouc and ivory. Like most objects that serve as bride transaction money, the main purpose of mandjong was to store value. Hence they were often buried or carefully wrapped and kept over the fire pit. They were only shown to the public at the change of ownership, at weddings thus.