Object Details
- Label Text
- Flat beaded net collars such as this one are worn by married men and women among the Xhosa peoples. The pink color is particularly common among the Mfengu group, western Xhosa of Ciskei. This group moved into that area from the north as refugees from Zulu territorial expansion. Perhaps their preference for pink relates to the practice of staining beads with red ocher, "the blood of the earth," to honor the ancestors.
- Description
- Circular netted collar of pink glass beads with black and white bands edging the neck, a light blue band in several rows, and an outer edging of round white beads. Two mother of pearl buttons close the opening.
- Provenance
- Constance Stuart Larrabee, South Africa, 1937-1949 to 2000
- Exhibition History
- Ubuhle Beautiful Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence, Anacostia Community Museum, Washington, D.C., December 8, 2013-January 4, 2015
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Xhosa artist
- Date
- Early to mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Constance Stuart Larrabee
- Medium
- Glass beads, buttons
- Dimensions
- H x W: 21.8 x 23.3 cm (8 9/16 x 9 3/16 in.)
- Type
- Jewelry
