Necklace; Waist ornament

Item

Title

Necklace; Waist ornament

Creator

Unrecorded

Description

Necklace or waist ornament, made from ostrich eggshell beads strung on a long leather thong.
[Display label for 'Township Journeys' display, in the World Art Gallery, Brighton Museum 2018, as part of the 'Object Journeys' partnership project with the British Museum. Curated by Tshepo Skwambane and World Art staff]
Beaded Accessory
Date: Late 19th century | Materials: ostrich eggshell, leather
People: Khoe-San | Place: South Africa
This string of ostrich shell beads is an example of a form of body adornment dating back at least 14,000 years. The discs are hand cut, carved, pierced and strung on a leather strip. The beadwork can be worn around thehips or neck, or diagonally across the body.
The Khoe-San are the indigenous peoples of South Africa, and ostrich eggshell beadwork plays a prominent role in their dress and culture.
From the collections of Royal Pavilion and Museums

Publisher

Making African Connections

Date

Pre 1906

Type

PhysicalObject

Format

Ostrich eggshell; leather

Identifier

R705/18

Source

Donated to Brighton Museum by Miss Faith Standing of 99 Edith Road, West Kensington, London in 1906.

Space/Place

Botswana, Southern Africa, Africa
Cultural group: Khoisan; Basarwa

Rights

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Item sets