Dimensions:A: 5 × 3 1/2 × 7/8 in. (12.7 × 8.9 × 2.2 cm)
B: 7 1/2 × 2 1/2 in. (19.1 × 6.4 cm)
C: 6 × 3 3/4 × 7 1/2 in. (15.2 × 9.5 × 19.1 cm)
D: 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 × 2 in. (16.5 × 6.4 × 5.1 cm)
E: 5 × 3 1/2 × 3 1/4 in. (12.7 × 8.9 × 8.3 cm)
F: 6 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. (15.6 × 3.8 cm)
G: 6 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (17.1 × 6.4 cm)
H: 4 1/2 × 3 1/4 in. (11.4 × 8.3 cm)
Label TextThe penca de balangandãn is a group of figurative amulets joined by a chain to a decorative ring. These objects come from the region of Bahia in northern Brazil and were worn exclusively by enslaved women of African descent. Each balangandãn had a distinctive meaning to the wearer; for example, the hand posed in what is known as the fig gesture, or figas, was thought to ward off evil spirits. Balangandãn is an onomatopoetic word meant to recall the sound made by the object's dangling amulets.
La penca de balangandãn es un grupo de amuletos figurativos unidos por una cadena a un broche decorativo. Estos objetos fueron usados exclusivamente por mujeres esclavizadas de ascendencia africana en Bahía, Brasil. Cada balangandãn tenía un significado distintivo para la usuaria; por ejemplo, la mano colocada en lo que se conoce como el gesto de 'higo', o figas, alejaba a los espíritus malignos. “Balangandãn” es una palabra onomatopéyica que recuerda el sonido producido por los amuletos colgantes del objeto.
(LA, 2022)
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
