Gold pendant heads were popular hair adornments among the Baule peoples and their neighbors during the th century Gold jewelry was traded in the coastal region of Cte dIvoire where it was prized by wealthy families and displayed publicly to increase ones statusTo create this pendant the artist skillfully modeled beeswax into the likeness of a male elder with a plaited beard It was then covered with clay to form the mold When the clay was heated the wax melted and ran out through channels The lostwax process left a perfect mold ready to receive molten gold alloy
