African Jewelry
I found a really neat
website that talks about different forms of
African Art. The have information and pictures on paintings, Decor,
tribal art, sculpture, and jewelry. I found the jewelry information
to be the most interesting just because I make jewelry of my own. I
learned a lot of things about the different forms of jewelry made!
All the pictures are taken straight of the website also.
African Jewelry is used in many different ways. It is used to
decorate the body, creates a storage of wealth, and also has a symbol
of power and prestige reflecting status in society. It is used in
religion, rituals and ceremonies Found objects are often included and
can carry personal and symbolic meanings to the person wearing the
jewelry. Jewelry is worn by men, women, and children. Many children
are seen wearing jewelry at a very young age and as they get older
their jewelry changes. Events like puberty, manhood, or marriage
changes the jewelry people wear.
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stone jewelry |
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shell beads |
The oldest African Jewelry ever discovered was found in Blombos
Cave on the southern tip of South Africa. The beads they found are
estimate at being over 75,000 years old. Some other jewelry also
dates back 45,000 years.
Historically, African jewelry is also used to trade, mainly in
exchange for cloth and food, but also for slaves. The jewelry is
created from organic materials like hide, porcupine quill, bone,
animal teeth, animal hair, seeds, nuts, husks, sea and land shells,
egg shell, wood, ivory, coral, and carved stone. Ostrich bone is one
of the oldest forms of material used.
African jewelry has been used to adorn necks, ears, arms, legs,
toes, hair, waists, and can be pierced, strapped and sewn on and
sometimes left for long periods of time causing physical body damage
and restricting movement.
Tribal African Jewelry is dependent upon what is available
locally, what has been traded over the centuries and what the customs
and traditions are in the different cultures.
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Ghana King wearing gold jewelry |
In Ghana, for instance, the coronation of kings and leaders is
celebrated with a show of gold wealth that is astounding in glory.
Gold bracelets, necklaces, and rings all have symbolic meaning
attached to the styling and motifs used in the making.
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Kenyan bride |
Beaded African art has its own language and much can be derived
about the history, culture, and status. In southern and eastern
Africa, most people can wear beaded refinement, but in Yoruba
culture, it is confined to rulers, and in the Cameroon, beads are an
expression of privilege.
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Mali Wedding beads |
Some African tribes are known for recycling things from nature and
creating them into beautiful pieces of jewelry. Here is a picture of
recycled plastic bracelets.