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Necklace, Belt, F69.276

Physical Description

Necklace of seven parallel strings of beads, red white blue & yellow.
Belt is of 7 horizontal and parallel rows of small beads strung on fibre. Each end of 7 rows begins with a vertical row of 6 red round short barrel shaped beads, and is interrupted along its full length at 5 regular intervals (forming 6 panels of 7 rows and most frequently of 17 beads per row) with a similar vertical row of 6 red beads, i.e. there being a total of 7 vertical rows of red beads. Each of the 7 rows within each interval is most frequently (with exceptions in panels 5 & 6) composed of 17 cylindrical beads of the symmetrical pattern* 'w, b, w, r, r, y, y, b, b, b, y, y, r, r, w, b, w'. 'Row 3' of each panel 5 & 6 and row 4 (middle row) of panel 6 break this pattern symmetry with rows 3 of panel 5 being 'w, b, w, r, r, y, y, b, b, b, r, r, y, y, r, r, w' and in panel 6 being 'b, w, w, b, w, r, r, y, y, b, b, b, y, y, r, r, w'. In row 4 of panel 6 the sequence is 'w, b, w, r, r, y, y, w, w, w, y, y, w, w, w, y, w'. (Emphasis on these aberrations is only to bring notice to possible intended imperfection with only 'the gods' being able to produce perfection.) The fibre coming off panel 6 becomes 2 braided strings which are then knotted. The fibre coming off the other end from panel one emerges from the rows of beads as 3 strings and one braid which are then knotted. Note: b=blue, r=red, y=yellow, w=white.

Length of belt from end to end of panels - excluding the fibre ties = approx. 680mm. With fibre ties = approx. 94mm. Width of belt at widest point = approx. 38mm

Research Notes

? Label says "Abyssinian". Believe it is more likely to be from W. Africa - Ghana/Nigeria

? West Africa-Ghana/Nigeria. Glass beads: blue/red/yellow/white (trade & locally made), fibre (plant? - cotton/jute).

? Label says "Abyssinian". Likely is from W. Africa-Ghana/Nigeria. Belts similar to this in W. Africa are made for children - specifically female children - to protect them and/or to indicate a stage in their life, e.g. a stage of initiation.

Belt is of 7 horizontal and parallel rows of small beads strung on fibre. Each end of 7 rows begins with a vertical row of 6 red round short barrel shaped beads, and is interrupted along its full length at 5 regular intervals (forming 6 panels of 7 rows and most frequently of 17 beads per row) with a similar vertical row of 6 red beads, i.e. there being a total of 7 vertical rows of red beads. Each of the 7 rows within each interval is most frequently (with exceptions in panels 5 & 6) composed of 17 cylindrical beads of the symmetrical pattern* 'w, b, w, r, r, y, y, b, b, b, y, y, r, r, w, b, w'. 'Row 3' of each panel 5 & 6 and row 4 (middle row) of panel 6 break this pattern symmetry with rows 3 of panel 5 being 'w, b, w, r, r, y, y, b, b, b, r, r, y, y, r, r, w' and in panel 6 being 'b, w, w, b, w, r, r, y, y, b, b, b, y, y, r, r, w'. In row 4 of panel 6 the sequence is 'w, b, w, r, r, y, y, w, w, w, y, y, w, w, w, y, w'. (Emphasis on these aberrations is only to bring notice to possible intended imperfection with only 'the gods' being able to produce perfection.) The fibre coming off panel 6 becomes 2 braided strings which are then knotted. The fibre coming off the other end from panel one emerges from the rows of beads as 3 strings and one braid which are then knotted. Note: b=blue, r=red, y=yellow, w=white.

Length of belt from end to end of panels - excluding the fibre ties = approx. 680mm. With fibre ties = approx. 94mm. Width of belt at widest point = approx. 38mm —Joel A Vanderburg

Provenance

de Beer catalogue notes: "All from Cairo, probably purchased in 1912."
Locality (?Abyssinian):
Purchased in:

Measurements

Maximum dimensions (H x W x D): 930 x 40 x 8mm

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