What were manillas?

What were manillas?

• A. Bronze bells used as currency in West Africa.
• B. A type of porcelain decorative item.
• C. Bracelets made in West Africa used as currency in Europe.
• D. Bracelets produced in the Low Countries during the 16th and 17th centuries, used as currency in West Africa and melted down to make Benin bronzes.

Answer: (D)

Manillas are metal bracelets that functioned as currency in West Africa during the early modern period. They were produced in Europe, especially in the Low Countries, during the 16th and 17th centuries and traded to West Africa, where these bracelets circulated as money and were valued by weight for large-scale exchanges. A important aspect is that many of these bracelets were melted down to supply brass for Benin bronzes, tying European metal production directly to West African royal art. This combination—European manufacture, use as currency in West Africa, and melting down to make Benin bronzes—captures the full story of manillas, which is why that description is correct.

Manillas are metal bracelets that functioned as currency in West Africa during the early modern period. They were produced in Europe, especially in the Low Countries, during the 16th and 17th centuries and traded to West Africa, where these bracelets circulated as money and were valued by weight for large-scale exchanges. A important aspect is that many of these bracelets were melted down to supply brass for Benin bronzes, tying European metal production directly to West African royal art. This combination—European manufacture, use as currency in West Africa, and melting down to make Benin bronzes—captures the full story of manillas, which is why that description is correct.