Veil worn by Tutsi woman or Ankole priests, Africa, 1890-1930

Veil consisting of strings of small, red, white Veil consisting of strings of small, red, white Veil consisting of strings of small, red, white

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Veil consisting of strings of small, red, white
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Veil consisting of strings of small, red, white
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Veil consisting of strings of small, red, white
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Veil consisting of strings of small, red, white, glass beads suspended from beaded band with hide-ends, Veil worn by Tutsi woman or Ankole priests, from Ankola, Uganda, 1890-1930

Beadwork is a form of traditional artistry within many cultures. It can denote status, wealth and social standing. It also identifies important people such as healers or diviners. This beaded ornament was worn by Tutsi women or Ankole priests. It is a veil, sometimes called an ‘amageza’. This means ‘beads of madness’ because the swaying before the eyes induced a trance state. It is made of strings of small red and white glass beads suspended from a beaded band with hide-ends. It measures about 75cm in length.

The veil was made by the Tutsi people of the Ankole region of Uganda in East Africa. It dates from the early 20th century. Glass and, later, plastic beads were important trade items between Europe and Africa. Many of these beads were woven into traditional ornaments such as this.

Details

Category:
Ethnography and Folk Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A301578
Materials:
cloth, beads, glass, band, leather and thong, cloth
Measurements:
overall: 260 mm x 750 mm 1.1kg
type:
headdress