African Beadwork
Ostrich-shells, bone and wood were common materials used to
make beadwork, which was a popular form of accessory to many eastern and south
African citizens. Beads with colour came from Europe in the 19th
century and many of them were used to make beautiful decorations, which had an
important participation in the social lives of the African tribes.
The way the jewellery is worn and its colour combination carries
sentimental meaning. Ornaments are made to display status and life stages such
as ‘love, marriage, birth of a child and so on.’ For example, females write
‘love messages’ to males by beading in specific patterns. The main forms of
beading consist of squares, diamonds, lines and geometrical shapes and
patterns. Beads are wrapped around ‘thick fiber cords’ and arranged on circular
hoop-like forms of necklaces worn by married women. If the woman were a widow,
the colours of the necklace would differ, the colour black would be predominant
in the design.
Samburu women
Samburu men
In Kenya, the samburu people wear a lot of adornment around
their necks and their shoulders to display social status with the help of
beading. The adornment pieces are often made from a large number of tiny,
coloured glass beads. From these beads, it is possible to understand that the
wearer is: young, a warrior, elderly, a priest, a virgin, available for
marriage, a parent, mother of a warrior, ect. The collars are huge, and
detailed with many colours, creating different patterns. They bring attention
to the face and make the neck look longer. These women take this adornment as
seriously as we take clothing, without it they are ‘naked’.
Ndebele people have an interesting ‘’fertility doll’’. The
fertility doll is made and given to a woman by her mother or grandmother on the
day she marries. It is also filled with beadwork. The purpose of this doll is
to bless her with healthy children. The doll is considered to be bad luck if it
is not given to someone else or destroyed after the third child is born.
