Violence in Iron and Silver

Branding a human being was a powerful symbol of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Along with the collar, chain and whip, branding remains a potent emblem of the centuries-long trauma experienced by millions of Africans taken from that continent.

This project represents direct engagement with evidence of branding to produce a traditional monograph, an edited volume and a visual, searchable database permitting both scholars and the general public to understand the extent of this injustice. Despite the wealth of visual evidence of branding, insufficient effort has been made to produce a complete catalogue of the people and corporations who owned the brands throughout the European nations and slave societies of the Americas. Such connections would offer concrete evidence of companies, families and individuals whose personal marks were branded onto other humans as proof of ownership.

scarification mark drawing

Search the database


Violence in Iron and Silver
Showing 65 - 80 of


Sex: M

Age: 26

Pa Sanda

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Unspecified Mark

Sex: Male

Age: 20

Sillafah

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Dented

Sex: M

Age: 28

Fang

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Unspecified Mark

Sex: M

Age: 36

Moses

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Scarification

Sex: M

Age: 30

Beama

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Scarification

Sex: M

Age: 20

Brima

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Scarification

Sex: M

Age: 20

Yember

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Unspecified Mark

Sex: M

Age: 18

Zanna

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Body Parts Missing, Unspecified Mark

Sex: M

Age: 16

Coley

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Scarification

Sex: M

Age: 16

Yamma

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Blister

Sex: Boy

Age: 13

Mamadoo

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Blister

Sex: B

Age: 10

Tombo

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Blister

Sex: B

Age: 9

Coley

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Blister

Sex: B

Age: 8

Moosa

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Scarification

Sex: Woman

Age: 30

Coona

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Scarification

Sex: W

Age: 16

Maradah

scarification mark drawing
Physical Characteristics:

Scarification