Vintage Brazillian Silver Balanganda with Brass and Wood Charm Bracelet. Repurposed as a hanging ornament with a central chain, adorned by numerous classic shapes. 

Size: 7 x 6 x 3 in. 

A balangandã (often called penca de balangandã) is a traditional Afro-Brazilian charm bracelet or amulet originating from the coastal state of Bahia, Brazil. Dating back to the 18th and 19th Centuries, it was worn at the waist by enslaved and freed Black women as a symbol of cultural identity, spiritual protection, and wealth. The charms are held together by a decorative metal hanger called the nave (meaning “ship”), which symbolizes the slave ships that crossed the Atlantic. “Penca” translates to bouquet, which the groupings resemble, and each cluster features several hanging charms (typically 8 to 12) curated by the owner over time. They were traditionally forged from heavy silver or brass by Black silversmiths, interspersed with wood, animal bone, coral, and seeds. The charms are a fascinating blend of Catholic imagery and Afro-Brazilian religious traditions like Candomblé, and often incorporate shapes like a hand (to ward off the “evil eye”), fish, fruit, and corn. The term “balangandã” is also onomatopoeic in Portuguese, mimicking the clinking sound the metal charms made as the wearer walked, and today they are seen as ultimate status and cultural symbols, particularly when they are older family heirlooms that speak to a heritage going back hundreds of years. 

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