Object Details
- Label Text
- Purchased from a young Maasai man, this aromatic neckband is the type worn by initiated men. It is made of the first chamber of a cow's stomach. Each depression is filled with a bit of sweet-smelling grass and tied with fiber. It is then sewn onto a piece of hide and decorated with beads and shell.
- Description
- Hide band with attached balls of plant fiber, shell disk in front center, back closure with six rows of green, red, white and blue beads and metal staples at the ends. Twisted plant fiber connects the holes at the ends. Red pigment is visible on the hide.
- Provenance
- Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Livingston, San Francisco, acquired Keekorok Lodge, 1974 to 1980
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
- Maasai artist
- Date
- Late 20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Livingston
- Medium
- Hide, glass beads, metal, shell, pigment, fiber
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 2.9 x 13 x 13 cm (1 1/8 x 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in.)
- Type
- Textile and Fiber Arts
