Pendant: Face, 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, possibly Baule-style goldsmith. Gold; overall: 7.6 x 5 cm (3 x 1 15/16 in.). Cast using the lost-wax method, gold objects are the only Baule art forms associated with ancestral spirits. Usually stored in suitcases or pots, a collection of gold adornments (aja) are displayed on important occasions such as funerals. They are laid out around the corpse before burial as a sign of respect and their family's wealth. Faces such as this pendant are said to be idealized portraits of friends or lovers. This depiction of a man has a beard and elaborately styled hair.