This choker-length necklace is of braided black leather adorned with natural cowrie shells with a single small brass fish gold weight pendant. Necklaces of this type are by tribal people of Mali for protective purposes, as well as personal adornment. The leather is made from goatskin. Such a necklace is imbued by tribal healers with medicinal or spiritual value which defend the wearer from whatever he or she may consider to be threatening to them. Each small brass fish gold weight pendant is individually hand cast using the traditional lost wax casting method so no two are exactly alike.

We have these necklaces in 2 different fish gold weight pendant designs: generic fish (unknown species) and mudfish, in two different orientations: head on the left, head on the right. These same gold weight pendants are available for purchase alone elsewhere on our site.

 7/8 to 1 3/8" pendant height (2.2 to 3.5 cm), 7 1/2 to 8 1/2" necklace length (19 to 22 cm)