Monday, June 11, 2007

African Beading


The story of African beading is very interesting. I would love for you to research it and let me know what you find. I promise you, you are sure to learn something new!
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2 comments:

stephanie said...

The desire for personal adornment appears to be universal, dating to at least 25,000 years. African beadwork not only serves as decorative jewelry but as a complex introduction into the colorful web of traditional life. They feel that outward appearance is the surest way to differentiate one person from another, and the desire for objects that can decorate or distinguish the individual appears to be universal. Evidence found in Stone Age graves and domestic sites includes objects that are recognizable as jewelry. Ivory beads, necklaces made from fish vertebrae, and other objects are frequently uncovered in such locations.
Beads have become powerful elements in African life. Their use offers insight into hundreds of cultures. The jewelry worn by East Africa's Masai and Samburu people incorporates specific and different patterns, forms, and shapes. But both use the same basic building blocks: tiny glass or porcelain beads. The Zulu, Ndebele, and Xhosa of South Africa also use these small beads to create culturally distinctive forms of jewelry. Ornament literally is used to delineate the unique identity of each culture, and most of the beadwork found in eastern and southern Africa is worn by all members of society. But in West Africa, in the Yoruba culture of Nigeria and Cameroon, beadwork is reserved for members of royalty. In conclusion, after researching African Beading on the internet, I learned many interesting facts about African Beading that I never knew before.

June 11, 2007 at 1:21 PM
M. Tomich said...

Thanks for that info, Stephanie!

June 11, 2007 at 2:22 PM

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