Among the Pokot, body adornments are visual signifiers of power, wealth and status within the community. Given as a gift to a new bride by her husband, this finely beaded neck adornment and matching apron would have been worn as an embodied symbol of wealth and prestige.
Bands of brightly coloured beads have been woven together to create the apron. Two strands of larger beads, affixed to the top of the apron, would have looped over the woman’s shoulders, serving as a support. Vibrantly-coloured beads, arranged into alternating patterns, frame the outer edges of the matching neck adornment.
Estimated Period: Mid-20th Century
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