This is my own Penca de Balangandã, a piece I inherited and chose to preserve rather than replace.
The Penca de Balangandã is one of the most significant objects in Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage. Born in Bahia in the 17th century, these clusters of silver charms were worn by Black women as a form of spiritual protection, financial security, and cultural resistance under slavery. Every charm carried meaning. Every piece told a story.
This silver penca came to me worn and in need of care. The conservation process included surface cleaning, chemical treatment, and polishing, restoring the piece to its original appearance without replacing or altering any of its charms. All elements remain original.
Conservation work like this matters, objects carry what written history often cannot. To preserve a piece like this is to protect the memory, the faith, and the resistance it holds. Some things are too important to let deteriorate and disappear.
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Luiza P. 