From ancient times through today, African cultures have made beads of many different materials, including shells, seeds, bone, ivory, horn, clay, gourd, wood, rock crystal, iron, copper, brass, and gold. The widespread trade of colorful European glass seed beads, however, enabled African artisans to greatly expand traditional beadwork forms and designs, and they elevated this … [Read more...] about African Beadwork: Researched by Amanda Horned and Cortney Metzger
As in most cultures, in African cultures, symbols of status are used to make distinctions among classes or other groups of people. The owners of status objects are recognized as powerful, wealthy, or high-ranking. In Africa, high-status individuals include people with hereditary power such as royalty; spiritual leaders; high-ranking military or civic leaders; prosperous … [Read more...] about African Status Symbols: Researched by Emily McClain and Zoë Pixler
BEFORE CONSERVATION AFTER CONSERVATION This Gelede mask (or headdress) has a superstructure that appears to represent a ceramic pottery vessel. The superstructures of traditional Gelede headdresses come in many different shapes and sizes. They can be elaborate, with complex and elaborate scenes comprised of many figures of animals and humans, or the superstructure … [Read more...] about Gelede Headdress: Researched and Conserved by Nicholas Deckard