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African Tribal Jewelry We Wish We Could Buy

African Tribal Jewelry We Wish We Could Buy

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African tribal jewelry is often made of indigenous, unexpected materials, using colors that mimic the natural landscapes in Africa. It often includes rare artifacts. Here are 10 pieces of African tribal jewelry we wish we could buy.

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

Kuba Yet Belt

Heavy with dangling objects, a Kuba Yet belt is worn by members of the royal family in Kuba, a historical Central African state dating back to the 16th-century in what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You can determine the rank of the individual wearing the belt by the number of objects on it. Objects include rare seashells from coasts around Africa.

Source: Flickr.com

Wikipedia.org
Wikipedia.org

 

Tribal beads

These necklaces are a perfect example of the woven style of beaded jewelry in many African tribes. Beaded jewelry can be used to depict relationship status, religious rank, or even act as a form of protection.

Source: Waistbeadsbyfatou.com

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

Mursi head beads

This is a young member of the Mursi tribe which lives in Mago National Park in Ethiopia. Tribe members are known for having pierced lips and wearing enormous metal places in their mouths. This member is wearing a bright and complex headpiece and has probably not gone through the rights of passage yet to receive the piercing.

Source: Mursi.org

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

Best dressed at Africa Day

This is the winner of the Best Dressed competition at Africa Day hosted by the African Women’s Network in Ireland. She is wearing authentic and replicated tribal jewelry.

Source: Flickr.com

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

 

Agate ring amulet

This ring comes from the Tuareg people in Mali. It is a carnelian ring set in a silver pendant. There are often tribal symbols engraved on parts of the metal of such pieces.

Source: Flickr.com

Pinterest.com
Pinterest.com

 

Enamel and coral necklace

This is an enamel and coral necklace from the Kabyle people, a Berber ethnic group native to the north of Algeria, 100 miles east of Algiers. They represent the largest Berber-speaking population of Algeria and the second largest in Africa.

Source: Pinterest.com, Wikipedia

Wikimedia.org
Wikimedia.org

 

Samburu necklace

This is a traditional necklace worn by the Samburu people — a nomadic tribe living in Kenya. It’s a very large necklace that covers parts of the shoulders.

Source: Goafrica.about.com

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

Coprolite earrings

Coprolite might sound like a fancy word but it means fossilized animal dung. Fossilizing animal dung is a common practice in many African tribes. It takes on the look of little wooden branches and is often paired with silver or stones.

Source: Flickr.com

wikimedia.org
Wikimedia.org

 

Akan beads

This is a dancer in the Akan nation — an indigenous ethnic group that lives in the Gulf of Guinea. She is wearing stunning, bright beads around her neck and on a headband, along with gold bracelets on her arm.

Source: Britannica.com

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

Beaded apron

This is a beaded apron from the Kirdi people of Northern Cameroon. They’re typically worn by pre-pubescent girls and known as modesty aprons. Symbolism aside, they’re gorgeous and made from cowrie shells and glass beads.

Source: Flickr.com