headband (head ornament)

Beaded headband from Transkei, South Africa. Made of thin strands of blue and white beads, threaded onto plant fibre string. Supported by four vertical sections of red and dark blue beads. The face of the band has three pearl buttons for decoration along with four tassels.

isalelo yamakhwenkwe (headband), worn by youths (amaknwenkwe) and their girls (iintombe yamakhwenkwe) to dances. Band-isingibo, four patches on band-amabango, tassels (worn over either ear)-imigqi, buttons-amagosha. Strung on cotton. Bead colours: white as before, coral-iintsimbi yebomvu, dark blue-unyembe, light blue-ifathuse.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
1972.303
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 245 mm x 38 mm x 8 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
beads; plant fibre; pearl
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
LOCATION
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Collection Information

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