Ceremonial beadwork for a Xhosa royal woman: headdress (umnqwazi), pendant, breast cover (incebetha), pair of anklets (izitsaba)
Unknown Artist
1800s
Medium
Glass beads, sinew, hide, ceramic
Dimensions
{}
Classification
Mixed Media
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Severance and Greta Millikin Trust
Accession Number
2022.49
About this artwork
Elite Xhosa women once wore beaded garments like this on festive occasions. Made almost completely from imported Venetian or Bohemian glass beads, they were overt status symbols. Imported beads functioned as money for the Xhosa between about 1770 and 1829. These garments’ female maker carefully selected beads of the highest quality, uniform in color, shape, and size. Made in the same shape as the pendant, a swallowtail-shaped apron (CMA 2010.206) worn under the skirt completed the ensemble.