Beaded Sash

Origin: Yoruba Tribe, Nigeria
Composition: glass beads, cowry shells, aso'oke textile

Derived from the sacred beaded sheaths for Oko iron staffs, Yoruba belts have historically been worn and displayed in public ceremonies by Yoruba priestesses and displayed in their homes and shrines. This piece has aso’oke textile backing, a textile traditionally used for ceremonial dress. All beads are glass and are stitched on by hand, an incredibly laborious process. As economic development continues to come to Nigeria, Yoruba beaded pieces will become even rarer, as has been the case with beadwork in other indigenous cultures. Beads and cowry shells, historically traded as currency, are often associated with wealth and prestige in the Yoruba kingdom.

The word ‘Yoruba’ describes both a language and a tribe living across Nigeria and the Popular Republic of Benin, in an area of forest and savannah. Their origins can be traced back to the end of the first millennium like the civilization of Ife. Following the collapse of the Ife civilization, a number of kingdoms such as the Ijebu and the Oyo emerged. They, in turn, disintegrated during the 18th and 19th centuries, but were revived by the colonial powers at the end of the 19th century and today still form the political structure of the Yoruba people. The enormous scale of the slave trade in Nigeria contributed to the diaspora of the Yoruba people and informed spiritual practices in countries such as Haiti (Passage from Bacquart, Tribal Arts of Africa).