Adorn DM World Culture Gallery Guide

Adorn Things to clothe, signal and captivate

Gallery Guide

Things to clothe, signal and captivate

Grouped here are the things from the collection that people have used to clothe and decorate themselves with. Some are practical, worn for protection and warmth, but many are so much more than that.

Some are intended to signal something about the wearer; their social status, wealth, cultural background or religious beliefs. Others might be designed to captivate, attract, impress or express emotions and personality. Or they might be a combination of all of these.

Zone

Adorn

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Can you help discover more about these objects’ stories?

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The objects marked with this symbol are unidentified or need further research. Take a look at the folder in the bookcase by the seating area. It has images and information about these objects. We welcome your ideas, input or expertise.

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Display

Textiles

Woollen Kashmiri shawl

1 These textiles are very delicate and can only be exhibited for short periods of time. They will be displayed one at a time, in rotation.

Korowai, tasselled cloak Maori people, New Zealand, Pacific Ocean

Jammu and Kashmir, India/Pakistan, Asia

Mid 19th century

19th – early 20th century

Worn by both men and women draped over the shoulder or under one arm, korowai cloaks were made by finger-weaving fine New Zealand flax fibre, without the use of a loom.

This cloak is decorated with tassels which ripple and sway as the wearer moves, bringing the cloak to life.

The dark hukahuka tassels are dyed with iron-rich mud, and the light-coloured pokinikini tassels make a distinctive rustle and clatter in the breeze. This korowai has lots of mends, showing it was worn a lot. Maori men and women have revived the lost tradition of making cloaks since the 1950s.

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Woven from the wool of the cashmere goat and hand-embroidered in silk with tiny stitches, this was probably made by several men, weaving the cloth and embroidering the separate panels which were then sewn together to create a seamless-looking shawl with the design flowing over the panels. This shawl was given to Derby textile merchant, journalist and art critic Charles Holme by Ranbir Singh, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir in 1878.

Choga, man’s coat The intricate hand-embroidered pattern on this man’s fine goat’s wool coat includes the tear-drop shaped boteh, known as the Paisley pattern in the UK after the town of Paisley in Scotland which produced imitation Kashmir textiles. The origin of the boteh is obscure but it may come from the ancient Babylonian symbol for the date palm, a tree which provided food, drink, clothing and shelter and became known as the Tree of Life. This choga was given to Derby textile merchant, journalist and art critic Charles Holme by Ranbir Singh, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir in 1878.

Jammu and Kashmir, India/Pakistan, Asia

Mid 19th century

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Bracelets on stand

Six coiled wire bracelets with copper alloy beads

Nose ring South Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

South Africa

Late 19th century

Five aluminium bracelets

Two copper alloy bracelets

Africa, unprovenanced

?

These are made of recycled aluminium. Aluminium first came to sub-Saharan Africa in the early 20th century in the form of motor parts, cups and plates imported by European colonists. By the 1910s jewellers were making jewellery out of aluminium, often replacing copper and silver in popularity. Aluminium is very easy to melt down, cast and work, and it can be recycled over and over again.

Late 19th – early 20th century Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

1940s-1950s

Coiled wire bracelet Southern Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Two coiled wire bracelets with coiled wire decoration

South Africa

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Late 19th century

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Elephant tail hair bracelet Elephants are highly symbolic in many African cultures, associated with strength, power and longevity, and elephant hair bracelets are associated with protection, good luck and good health. They are now made for the tourist market, sometimes out of the tails of illegally slaughtered elephants, rather than naturally shed hairs.

Karamojong people, north-east Uganda, Africa

Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

Mid 20th century

Mid 20th century

Eight woven grass bracelets or armlets

Elephant ivory bracelets Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

Two coiled copper alloy currency bracelets

Southern Africa, unprovenanced

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Mid 20th century

Bracelets on base of case Braided grass bracelet Jute rope has been used to tie the braided grass coils together.

Africa, unprovenanced

Iron dancer’s anklet

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

The metal balls encased in the wide parts of this dancer’s anklet make a rattling sound. The original museum record from 1926 said that this was ‘used in war dances’.

This is an example of sensationalised or exoticised interpretation being attached to objects from colonised countries.’

Ghana, Africa

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Late 19th – early 20th century

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Ivory bracelet

Two copper alloy bracelets

Notice the word ‘Mombasa’ stamped on this. With the colonisation of Kenya by the British in the late 19th century, Mombasa competed with Zanzibar and Mozambique as Africa’s major ivory market. The trade was heavily regulated and this stamp may have had a dual function indicating both place of manufacture and that the ivory was from an official source. Today, Mombasa is the largest port on the East African coast and is the major transit port for the illegal ivory trade.

This bracelet is made from relatively poor quality ivory taken from the root of the tusk.

Mombasa, Kenya, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Ghana, Africa

19th – early 20th century

Metal and grass leg ornaments These were donated by two brothers, Guy and Wilfred Sparrow, who fought for the British in South Africa during the Second Boer war (1899-1902).

South Africa

Knife bracelet

Late 19th century

This fighting knife doubles as a decorative bracelet, adorned with glass and metal beads on leather thongs.

Leather sheaths protect the wearer from the sharp edges of the blade. Knife bracelets are worn by women, men and children in some parts of East Africa.

Karamojong people, Uganda, Africa

Mid 20th century

Two woven necklaces

Unprovenanced

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?

Late 19th – early 20th century

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Copper alloy anklets Hombori marble bracelet Nokema quarry, Hombori, Mali, Africa

19th – early 20th century

This type of bracelet was once worn as a good luck charm by men across much of North Africa, probably over many hundreds of years. In 1907 a French soldier wrote ‘everybody wears a bracelet made of Hombori marble above the elbow; this adornment was adopted by all the Northern populations, the Sorkos and Bosos, Gabibi, Markas, the people from Timbuktu and Djenné and even by the Tuareg and Moors’. This white-veined black marble is only quarried from outcrops at Nokema near Hombori in Mali. The making process involves many stages including piercing, grinding polishing, washing and greasing. The skills needed are now disappearing and production is almost non-existent today.

Notice the removable section to aid getting these women’s anklets on and off. Ivor Evans, a curator at the Malay States Museums, wrote accounts of the Dusun people. In 1922 he recorded that women wore ‘heavy brass anklets’ and in 1953 he wrote that women used to wear them but that they had now disappeared. These were collected by Derby man Major Anthony Drummond Boden (1872 – 1914) who served in the Rifle Brigade, and was perhaps stationed in British North Borneo at some point.

Dusun people, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia, Asia

Late 19th – early 20th century

Coiled copper alloy currency bracelet Currency bracelets would be worn by women to display their husband’s wealth.

Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

Mid 20th century

Elephant ivory bracelet Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

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Mid 20th century

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Copper alloy bracelet

?

Made of coiled and twisted copper alloy wire.

Africa, unprovenanced

Karamojong people, Uganda, Africa

Mid 20th century

Copper alloy currency bracelet

Spiral leg or arm ornament

Copper bracelets were used as a general purpose currency in West Africa from at least the 14th century.

As well as being used for buying goods and paying for services and fines, the bracelets could be worn as displays of visible wealth, or melted down to make other objects including artworks, tools and weapons.

From the 16th century European traders were taking ship-loads of European-made copper bracelets, called manillas (from the Portuguese word for bracelet), to trade in West Africa for slaves, ivory and later, palm oil. This bracelet was probably made in Africa.

This type of coiled copper alloy leg or arm ornament was used as currency, often specifically for dowry money in parts of DR Congo. They were usually worn only by married women.

Ghana, Africa

Woven plant fibre necklace Africa, unprovenanced

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Late 19th – early 20th century

Copper alloy bracelet

Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

Mid 20th century

18th - 19th century

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Lobed copper alloy bracelet Ghana, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

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Heavy copper alloy currency bracelet Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

Pierced copper alloy bracelet Ghana, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Mid 20th century

Copper alloy bracelet Notice the pierced decoration.

Ghana, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Clothing Embroidered slipper

Necklace with nut Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

1940s-1950s

Richly decorated with gold thread and sequins, this is probably Nyonya needlework, made by Peranakan Chinese women of the Malay Archipelago.

Peranakan Chinese people, Malay Archipelago (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia), Asia

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Copper alloy necklace Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa

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Mid 20th century

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High heeled woman’s shoe

Man’s beaded slipper

Silk shoe with diamante buckle made by Nicolas Greco of Paris. These once belonged to Lady Ottilie Curzon, Viscountess Scarsdale of Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire.

High heels were originally worn by men in the early 1600s but from the 1780s they became almost solely the preserve of women. In recent decades high heels have once again been worn by men too.

Nyonya needlework, rich embroidery with gold threads, silk floss and tiny glass beads, traditionally done by Peranakan Chinese women in the Malay Archipelago, embraced design ideas and sewing techniques from other cultures. The floral design on this slipper is inspired by European needlepoint.

Made in Paris, France, Europe; worn in Derbyshire, UK, Europe

Embroidered silk woman’s slipper China, Asia

c.1920-1940 CE

?

Early 20th century

Peranakan Chinese people, Malay Archipelago (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia), Asia

Moccasin Moccasins are a traditional form of Native American footwear, usually made from deerskin. In the woodlands of the East, where these come from, moccasins had soft soles to allow the wearer to move quietly through the forests. Moccasins in desert or rocky regions often had a harder sole to protect the wearer’s feet. These moccasins are decorated with materials bought by trade with Europeans but are made in a traditional style. They were probably made for tourists. Beadwork on authentic native moccasins was often smaller.

Mohawk people, eastern Canada/ USA from Quebec to Pennsylvania, North America

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Early 20th century

19th century

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Qabqab, woman’s bath clog

Walking sandals

Popular across the Ottoman Empire (Southeast Europe, Middle East, North Africa) these were designed for women to wear in Turkish bathhouses, protecting their feet from the hot, wet floors. Their Arabic name qabqab comes from the clacking noise the shoes make when walking.

These tapir skin shoes were designed for long walks.

The toe and heel impressions of the footprints left by these sandals are identical, hiding the direction of the walker, and so the Ayoreo people were called pyta jovai (double heel) by neighbouring cultures.

Nowadays people make similar shoes out of used tyres.

The barefoot running community in North America and Europe has adopted the similar Mexican huaraches and you can buy kits to make your own out of rubber.

Jerusalem, Middle East, Asia

19th – early 20th century

Ayoreo people, Paraguay, South America

Qabqab, woman’s bath clog Wooden stilted shoes inlaid with mother-of-pearl shell and with leather and fabric straps. The height of qabqabs varies with some being about 30cm high. Women wearing these would need people to help them walk.

Ottoman Empire (Southeast Europe, Middle East, North Africa), unprovenanced

19th – early 20th century

Rain god statue feet wearing sandals.

?

You can see the head of this statue in the Believe zone (Display 3 Drawer 2).

Pair of child’s shoes

?

Leather shoes with paste jewels and gold thread embroidery.

Unprovenanced, probably from India, Asia

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Uncertain pre-Colombian culture, Central America

c. 200–1500 CE

19th century

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Concealed shoes

Pair of shoes for bound feet

These man’s clog boots were found hidden inside the chimney of a house in South St, Derby in 2006.

Concealed shoes hidden in buildings, often in chimneys and walls, under floors or around doors and windows, are thought to have been put there as magical charms to bring good luck, protect against witches and demons, or possibly to attract helpful household spirits. The practice has existed in Europe since at least 1300 although it had largely died out by the 20th century. Notice the repairs and signs of wear on these boots. Virtually all concealed shoes have been worn and repaired.

These unusually tiny bound foot shoes may have been made for a child. The foot binding process began when girls were about 4. As late as the 1930s an Englishman living in Tianjin wrote home relating how he was kept awake by young girls crying through the night because their broken and bound toes were so painful.

Derby, UK, Europe

19th – early 20th century

19th century

Silk shoes for bound feet

Man’s black cotton slipper

Foot binding began in China about 1000 years ago, first among wealthy Han women and later adopted by Han women of lower classes. Bound feet became a sign of beauty and social status and were seen as a way of getting a wealthy husband. By the 19th century around 50% of Han Chinese women had their feet bound, but in some provinces and among the upper classes the figure was almost 100%. The ideal length for a woman’s foot was 3 Chinese inches (about 10cm). The practice was outlawed in 1912 but carried on in rural areas until the 1930s. The last factory making shoes for women with bound feet closed down in 1999.

Quilted black cotton shoe with leather piping running up the front to reinforce the shape of the shoe. The thick sole would raise the feet off cold tile floors and wet ground. Han men’s shoes tended to be much less elaborate than women’s and these simple black cotton shoes are the everyday shoes worn by the majority of men. Black leather shoes could be worn for formal occasions and the most wealthy men would wear very brightly coloured shoes.

Han people, China, Asia

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Han people, China, Asia

Han people, China, Asia

19th century

19th – early 20th century

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Man’s thong sandal

Woman’s thong sandal

These are probably made from goatskin leather.

This was worn by Sheana Barby when she lived in Nigeria during the 1960s. It was made by local artisans using an industrial sewing machine.

East Africa, unprovenanced

Late 19th – early 20th century

Hausa people, Soba, North West Nigeria, Africa

Geta, woman’s sandal

Pair of woman’s shoes

Geta are traditional Japanese shoes designed to keep the foot clear of the ground and stop mud getting onto long clothing such as kimonos. They are worn by both men and women, although women’s geta have oval soles, like this one, and men’s geta have rectangular sole. The wooden sole has a woven reed covering and the thong is covered in purple and silver silk.

The special tabi sock has a separate big toe so it can be worn with thonged shoes. White tabi like this are worn in formal situations such as at tea ceremonies.

These are typical Manchu women’s shoes. In Chinese society clothing, footwear and hairstyles served to define different cultural groups. The Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) ordered Manchu women not to bind their feet like Han women.

Japan, Asia

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1960s

Manchu people, China, Asia

19th – early 20th century

Late 19th – early 20th century

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Fans and flywhisks

Pairs of man’s shoes These were presented to Ron Barby, Deputy Head at a school in Soba, Nigeria at his leaving party, in 1969.

Ron and his family were presented with full Hausa costumes to wear at the leaving party.

Hausa people, Soba, North West Nigeria, Africa

1960s

Ili, fan This fan is made from coconut leaves and fibre.

Samoan people have many additional uses for ili fans, such as for swatting flies, as hanging decorations, signalling to attract attention or for fanning flames.

Samoa, Pacific Ocean

Late 19th – early 20th century

Fan

Unprovenanced, probably from sub-Saharan Africa

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Arabic necklace The coin-like discs on this woman’s necklace all have the same Arabic inscriptions on them, translated as ‘In the gathering of love’ and ‘Find your destiny’.

The blue beads are probably included to protect against the evil eye. The necklace is designed to bring good luck and encouragement to the wearer. The crescent and star motif was the symbol of the Ottoman Empire and has since been adopted as the symbol of Islam and the Muslim community.

North Africa or Middle East, unprovenanced

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19th century

Figini, ostrich feather and leather fan This was presented to Ron Barby, Deputy Head at a school in Soba, Nigeria at his leaving party, in 1969. Ron’s wife, Sheana, remembers people fanning him with this at the party, to show he was an honoured person.

Hausa people, Soba, North West Nigeria, Africa

1960s

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Fly-whisk Enamel handle in the form of an animal head, possibly a fish.

Unprovenanced

?

19th – early 20th century

Chipió, feather headdress/choker Made from white heron feathers tied with Bromelia karatas plant fibre string, this could be used as a headdress, necklace, bracelet, anklet or apron. It would be worn in religious and shamanic ceremonies to represent the anabsoro, divine characters that appear masked and feathered.

Ishír people, Gran Chaco, Paraguay, South America

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Late 19th – early 20th century

31 Photo : Chevy-Jordan Thompson

Bags, combs and hairpins Leather bag

Africa, unprovenanced

Moulded leather case

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

This is made of cuir bouilli which literally translates as boiled leather. Cuir bouilli was used in Europe from at least 2,500 years ago, to make robust carrying cases, boxes and chests for valuable and personal objects such as scientific instruments, books, pens and cutlery.

It was also used to make cheap and light armour and shields. The Somali/Ethiopian shield on display in the Conflict zone was made in a similar way.

Unprovenanced, Europe

Woven string bag

Pair of combs

This shoulder or waist bag could have been used by a man during hunting expeditions, or by a man or woman to carry utensils. It was woven by women out of Bromelia karatas plant fibre and coloured with natural dyes.

Ornamental hair combs, made from wooden canes bound together with plant fibre string.

Ayoreo people, Gran Chaco, Paraguay, South America

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14th-16th century

Late 19th – early 20th century

Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa

1940s-1950s

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Double-sided comb

Comb

The teeth of this comb are made of spines of the spiny palm and it is virtually identical to c.500 year-old combs from archaeological sites in the Andes in Chile.

Analysis of the combs revealed the remains of head lice, nits and eggs. Ours has not been analysed yet…

The teeth are bound together with copper wire.

Gran Chaco, Paraguay, South America

Late 19th – early 20th century

Africa, unprovenanced, probably Congo region, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Hippo tooth comb Traditionally hippos were rarely hunted but if an individual hippo became a threat to people or farmland then they might be killed. The teeth would be used to make combs, necklaces, snuff containers and other items of personal adornment.

Needles and cutting tools could be made from the bones, sewing thread from the sinews, and the flesh could be dried or smoked in strips.

Comb Africa, unprovenanced, probably Congo region, Africa

East Africa Late 19th – early 20th century

Comb Africa, unprovenanced, probably Congo region, Africa

Bone hair pin Late 19th – early 20th century Africa, unprovenanced

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Late 19th – early 20th century

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

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Wooden hair pin

Africa, unprovenanced

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Woven basket bag This is virtually identical to a bag in the British Museum identified as a ‘South American letter bag from Guyana, made by indigenous people’.’

Unprovenanced, probably Wai-wai people, Guyana, South America

Bone or ivory hair pin

Africa, unprovenanced

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

South Africa

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Woven basket bag The diagonal cross pattern on this suggests it was made by the Chopi people of Mozambique. It was collected in South Africa between 1860-1880.

South Africa

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?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Ornamental wooden comb Decorated with a carved stool, symbolic of Asante power and royalty, and incised symbols including a padlock and key.

Asante people, Ghana, Africa

Bone hair pin

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Wooden comb with pokerwork decoration Ghana, Africa

c.1920 CE

Wooden comb Karamojong people, Uganda, Africa

Mid 20th century

c.1860-1880 CE

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Porcupine quills

Roman glass perfumed oil bottle

These were used for hair decorations. Porcupine quills have other uses including in traditional healing.

A volunteer told us that when he was a child in Zimbabwe he was made to inhale the smoke of burning porcupine quills to stop nose bleeds.

Cyprus, Europe

South Africa

19th – 20th century

c.100-250 CE

Aryballos, perfumed oil vessel Made in Corinth, Greece, Europe

c.600-500 BCE

Goatskin kohl bottle Kohl, a traditional eye cosmetic, is worn by both males and females among the Hausa people, and many other Islamic peoples of West Africa, the Sahel and the Sahara.

Hausa people, Ghana, Africa

Cosmetics

Late 19th – early 20th century

Gourd For holding charcoal for dying hair or body painting.

The words ‘From Copy’ are scratched into the surface, perhaps referring to the original owner.

Africa, unprovenanced

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Late 19th – early 20th century

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Hats Adinkra stamps Akan people, Ghana, Africa

Hula, boy’s embroidered cap Mid-late 20th century

Adinkra stamps are used for stamping cloth that is traditionally worn at funerals as a departing message to the deceased person.

Each symbol has multi-layered meanings and they convey deep philosophical messages about Akan social values and concepts of social behaviour. These stamps are made in the traditional way, out of gourds. Three of them have been used and are stained with dye made from the bark of the badeɛ tree.

This hat was given to seven year old Stephen Barby at his family’s leaving party in Soba, Nigeria, in 1969.

Stephen’s father worked as a teacher at school in Soba from 1964-1969.

Hausa people, Soba, North West Nigeria, Africa

1960s

Plastic bracelets

Akoma (the heart) – patience, love, goodwill and tolerance

mmusuyidee (that which sanctifies) - good fortune, sancitity and spiritual balance

Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

ohene aniwa (the king’s eyes) – vigilance, protection, security and excellence

adinkra hene (king of the adinkra symbols) – authority, greatness, prudence, firmness and magnanimity; the chief adinkra symbol

Quillwork birch bark medallion

1940s-1950s

Porcupine quillwork on birch bark and leather is a traditional and ancient art developed by Native North American people. Holes on the back of this disc indicate it was once sewn onto something, perhaps clothing or the strap on a feathered headdress.

North America

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19th – early 20th century

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Chullo, knitted woollen hat

Hula, man’s embroidered cap

Bolivian hat styles indicate which region people are from and Quechua peoples’ traditional dress includes chullo, knitted caps with ear flaps that are worn for warmth. The original museum record describes this as a boy’s hat. The first chullo given to a child is traditionally knitted by his father.

This hat was worn by Ronald Barby, a teacher at the craft school at Soba, Nigeria, at his leaving party from the school in 1969.

Quechua peoples, Bolivia, South America

Hausa people, Soba, North West Nigeria, Africa

1960s

Late 19th – early 20th century

Kufi cap Kufi caps are most commonly associated with Muslim men who wear them as a symbol of piety. In West Africa, kufi caps are also worn by Jewish and Christian men and by older men of any religion to symbolise their status as wise elders and family patriarchs. Workers’ hats had wide brims to protect the wearer from the sun but brimless kufi caps were a sign of not having to work and so symbolised high social status. This cap is made of dyed grasses and river reeds.

Hula, man’s embroidered cap Multi-coloured embroidered caps became popular from the mid 20th century and are a key feature of Hausa men’s dress, although some Hausa men still wear traditional Tuareg-style turbans with face veils.

Hausa people, Soba, North West Nigeria, Africa

Sierra Leone, Africa

Early 20th century

1960s

Grass cap Made of grasses woven in a simple check pattern, probably on a small loom and with a decorative bundle of grass at the top. This may be a form of kufi cap.

Sierra Leone, Africa

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Early 20th century

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Taqiyah or kufi, prayer cap

Woollen belt

Many Muslims wear prayer hats during daily prayers and at special occasions such as weddings.

The origin lies in seeking to emulate the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who is believed to have kept his head covered.

Made of hand spun llama or alpaca wool, woven on a vertical loom.

Made in Bangladesh, Asia; bought from Derby Jamia Mosque, Derby, UK, Europe

Bought in 2009

Malfa, sun hat Malfa were designed to go over traditional white turbans worn by many Islamic Hausa men in Nigeria.

Malfa were also worn by female religious teachers in Sokoto in Northern Nigeria.

Acquired in Sierra Leone, made by Hausa people in Nigeria, Africa

Early 20th century

Nivaclé people, Gran Chaco region, Paraguay, South America

Late 19th – early 20th century

Woollen belt The bright purple colour comes from cochineal dye, made from cochineal insects that only live on prickly pear cacti. Cochineals are collected by simply brushing them off the plant, then they are dried and ground down to make the dye. The use of cochineal dye dates back thousands of years in South America.

Europeans took to the dye with great enthusiasm in the 17th century. It is rarely used for dyeing fabrics now, since the invention of synthetic dyes in the mid 19th century.

Nivaclé people, Gran Chaco region, Paraguay, South America

Late 19th – early 20th century

Man’s hat Cane hat decorated with yellow orchid stems and dyed goat’s hair. Naga people reveal their ritual and social status through colour and pattern in the objects they use and adorn themselves with.

Donkey girth Nivaclé people, Bolivia, South America

Naga peoples, Assam, India / Myanmar border, Asia

44

Late 19th – early 20th century

Late 19th – early 20th century

45

Two beaded belts

Man’s plant fibre belt

Probably Pokomo people, Coast Province, Kenya, Africa

The yellow fibre is orchid stem and the red is coconut-frond cuticle, stained with Indian mulberry.

This belt was brought to England from Papua New Guinea in 1910 and was probably traded to there from the Solomon Islands, where it was made.

Late 19th – early 20th century

Solomon Islands, Pacific Ocean

Beaded belt

?

With ticking-cloth backing.

Unprovenanced, probably North America

Late 19th – early 20th century

Beaded belt

Beaded snuff balls

Numerous safety pin and clip mends to this belt show it was well-worn and loved. The beads are threaded on animal sinew and each bead is individually knotted.

The larger ball is made out of a gourd and the smaller one is made from pottery. The beadwork is probably Zulu in origin. Look for other snuff containers in the Consume zone.

Zulu people, probably Malawi, Southern Africa

Beaded belt With ticking-cloth backing.

North America, unprovenanced

46

Late 19th – early 20th century

19th century

Zulu people (probably), Southern Africa

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Beadwork object

Unprovenanced, probably southern Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

47

Bag/necklace

Umutsha, beadwork roll belt

This unusual object is a necklace that has been converted into a bag with the addition of fabric sewn into the neck loop.

Umutsha can be worn by either men or women.

This belt is made of six fabric rolls covered in beadwork on the outside. The conical brass button fasteners are often used in Zulu beadwork.

Probably Coast Province, Kenya, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Zulu or Nguni people, Southern Africa

Late 19th century

Beadwork cuff bracelet Before contact with Europeans, Native American people mainly used shell and porcupine quills to decorate clothing and objects. European traders and missionaries traded glass beads for furs and other goods. Tiny beads like these were first imported to the Americas in the 1840s and became immediately popular for creating intricate decorative designs.

Comanche or Kiowa people, southern USA, North America

Late 19th – early 20th century

Ixama, women’s belt Zulu women would weave an ixama soon after marriage, as a sign of obligation and respect to their husband. Before marriage young women would wear few clothes, but after marriage women would be expected to be modest and clothed, and the ixama was part of that clothing.

Zulu people, Msinga region, South Africa

Ixama, women’s belt

Late 19th century

This type of beaded woven grass belt was worn by married women. This was donated by two brothers who fought for the British Army in South Africa during the Second Boer war (1899-1902).

Zulu people, South Africa

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Late 19th century

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Beadwork apron Beaded aprons like this are worn in much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Cameroon in the west, to Kenya in the east and South Africa in the south.

Sub-Saharan Africa, unprovenanced

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Display

2

Top Leather bag

Beaded waistband

?

Notice the fringe of beaded danglers.

Zulu or Xhosa people, South Africa

Africa, unprovenanced

Late 19th – early 20th century

Ixama, women’s belt

Leather bag

Notice the domed brass buttons, which are often used in Zulu beadwork. Initially buttons would have been taken from the uniforms of defeated British soldiers or police during conflicts such as the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). Later they were acquired through trade.

This belt was donated by two brothers who fought for the British Army in South Africa during the Second Boer war (1899-1902).

Embroidered, painted and woven leather bag with patches of red wool.

Zulu people, South Africa

50

Late 19th – early 20th century

Hausa people, Nigeria, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Late 19th century

51

Foraging or hunting bag Traditionally men in southern Africa carry small reed bags like this when out and about in the countryside, for holding foraged food such as berries, mushrooms and small animals. A feather from a tiny orangebreasted sunbird was found inside this bag.

Southern Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Drawer 1 Beaded necklace Sometimes little clues on objects help us to identify where they were made. The brass button on this glass bead necklace is of a type often used in Zulu beadwork.

Look out for other Zulu jewellery with brass buttons.

Zulu people (probably), Southern Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Kufi cap Kufi caps are most commonly associated with Muslim men who wear them as a symbol of piety, but they are worn by men of all religions in West Africa to symbolise their status as wise elders and family patriarchs. Many people of West African heritage in the USA wear fabric kufi caps to show pride in their history and culture.

Africa, unprovenanced

Late 19th – early 20th century

Wrapped bead necklace

Southern Africa

?

Mid 20th century

Bone and ivory necklace This was gifted to a worker at Rolls Royce, Derby by an Indian colleague in the 1960s.

India, Asia

1950s-1960s

Wrapped bead necklace The blue, black and white European glass beads have been wrapped tightly around a fabric strip core. A piece of grass has been used to repair a point where the thread has broken.

Southern Africa

52

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

53

Beaded necklace and bracelets set Southern Africa

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Beadwork panel necklace or waistband Southern Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Beadwork panel necklace

Beadwork panel necklace

Necklaces with panels were made to convey meaning through pattern, colour and colour sequences.

They could be given to friends and family as messages of love, or they could be designed to be worn to show other people your marital status or cultural background.

The geometric designs on these panels are based on triangles, which is the basic geometric shape used in Zulu beadwork. The three points of the triangle represent mother, father and child. On this necklace two triangles join forming a diamond shape, symbolising a married woman. The blue colour may symbolise happiness and faithfulness and the white may symbolise spiritual love and purity.

Southern Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Zulu people, South Africa

Umgingqo, wrapped bead necklace Necklaces like this are still made today and are worn by both women and men in Southern Africa.

They are made by wrapping stringed beads around a cylindrical core of tightly rolled cloth.

Zulu people, Southern Africa

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?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Late 19th – early 20th century

Bead necklace The tiny glass ‘seed beads’ used in all the beadwork on display here were made in Europe and exported around the world to be used for trade and personal adornment.

Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

1940s-1950s

55

Beadwork necklace with fringes and buttons Southern Africa

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Beadwork panel necklace Two joined triangles forming a diamond shape represent a married woman. The colours may indicate faithfulness (blue), spiritual love and purity (white) and physical love (red). The panel is attached to a European-made kilt pin.

Zulu people (probably), Southern Africa

Beadwork panel Notice the stylised human figure design.

Southern Africa

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?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Beadwork panel necklace

Beadwork belt

The upward pointing triangle symbolises an unmarried woman. The yellow may indicate wealth and fertility, the red physical love, the white purity and the blue faithfulness. This was perhaps designed to indicate the wearer’s suitability and readiness for marriage.

However, much of the subtle meanings of Zulu beadwork are now lost, so it is difficult to be sure about what they mean.

Unprovenanced, probably Kenya, Africa

Zulu people (probably), Southern Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Late 19th – early 20th century

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Drawer 2

Antelope horn pendant charm Made by traditional healers and used as good luck, healing and protective charms, these could be worn around the neck or arm.

Crocodile teeth necklace Yalemba Baptist Mission, Basoko Territory, Tshopo District, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa

1940s-1950s

Carnelian and bloodstone bead necklace

?

Museum records from 1917 say this carnelian and bloodstone necklace is a ‘necklace for [an] idol’ but we know no more about it. The wrapped silk fastener is typical of Indian necklaces.

South Asia, unprovenanced

Africa, unprovenanced

Late 19th – early 20th century

Ancient Egyptian necklace The blue beads are made from Egyptian faience. This is likely to have been taken from a mummified body.

Egypt, Africa

About 2,000 3,000 years old

19th – early 20th century

Beadwork panel necklace Southern African beadwork dates back many centuries with glass beads being acquired first through trade with the Arabian peninsula and India. Tiny glass ‘seed’ beads like these were traded from Europe from the mid 19th century.

Sotho or Zulu people (probably), Southern Africa

Wood and glass bead necklace Unprovenanced, East Africa or Southern Africa

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Late 19th – early 20th century

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

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Beadwork necklace Zulu people (probably), Southern Africa

Necklace of copper alloy beads Late 19th – early 20th century Unprovenanced

Bead, chain and seed necklace

?

A similar necklace in the Horniman Museum is said to be a Zulu or South Nguni traditional healer’s necklace from South Africa, dating from the 19th century. Ours includes strands of European-made brass box chain.

Southern Africa

?

19th – early 20th century

Undated, probably late 19th – early 20th century

Adenanthera seed necklace Adenanthera trees grow throughout tropical regions of the world, and are referred to as the red bead tree, red lucky tree and many other names. The seeds are used for jewellery in many places. This necklace is recorded as being from the ‘South Sea Islands’.

Pacific Islands, unprovenanced

Late 19th – early 20th century

Dentalium shell beads These seashells were used for jewellery and trading

by Inuit, First Nations and Native American people along the west coast of North America from Canada to California. They were harvested along the Pacific Northwest Coast, particularly around Vancouver Island. These shells have green copper staining on them, suggesting they were strung with copper beads or coins.

North America

Up to 2,000 years old

Isiqu, bravery necklace This would have been awarded to a Zulu warrior who showed special bravery in battle. The warrior himself would have made it, with the permission of the Zulu king. This may have been taken by a British soldier from a defeated warrior in battle during British wars against the Zulu people between 1879 and 1896.

Zulu people, South Africa

60

19th century

61

Drawer 3

Beaded bandolier bag Woven wool bag

Unprovenanced, probably North or South America

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

Bandolier bags were worn by men, either across the shoulder or to the front like an apron. All the components of this bag would have been obtained through trade with Europeans. The red cloth was made in Stroud, the beads are probably Venetian and the cloth in the strap is French. The birds design may relate to the Bird clan of the Seminole people.

Seminole people, Florida, USA, North America

Beadwork purse

Beadwork bag

This was donated by two brothers who fought for the British Army in South Africa during the Second Boer war (1899-1902).

Buckskin bag decorated with European glass beads.

Xhosa or Zulu people, South Africa

Beaded leather tobacco pouch Unprovenanced, probably Southern Africa

62

19th century

Ojibwa people, east-central USA/Canada, North America

Late 19th century

19th century

?

Late 19th – early 20th century

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Words offered by visitors This gallery is built on a foundation of shared experiences that were offered by thousands of people at the start of the project. The words are a mix of values, emotions and actions and they’ve shaped the way the collection is displayed and explained Here are a few that relate to this zone.

aesthetics makeup clothes shoes decorate discomfort getting dressed vanity beauty style colour tattoos brushing hair fashion hair styles identity hide personal care

Photo : Chevy-Jordan Thompson

Glossary

Acknowledgements

Here are explanations of a few terms used in this guide

‘Objects of love, hope and fear’ has been coproduced with an amazing team of volunteers, visitors and partners. Our deepest thanks go to out to all of you for your generosity of time, knowledge, skill and energy.

BCE

An extra special thank you to:

Before Common Era (equivalent of BC ‘before Christ’)

CE

Sheikh Qazi Abdul Mateen Al-Azhari

Alan Foord

Rajaa Sakhari

Lisa Graves

Gaye Sculthorpe

Andy & Margaret Austen

Common Era (equivalent of AD ‘anno Domini’, the year Christ was born)

Jeff Hallam

Lizzy Serieys

Soshain Bali

Theresa Hempsall

Susan Sharif

Sheana Barby

Stephen Hill

Val Shelton

c.

Richard Bartle

Anne Ishikawa

Christopher Simpson

Abbreviation of circa, a Latin word meaning ‘around’ or ‘about’

Wendy Biz-Lage

Bali Jenkins

Alison Solomon

Ollie Brown

Lisa Kavanagh

Alice Southwood

James Bucklow

Zachary Kingdon

Celeste Sturgeon

Clare Calder-Marshall

Michelle Laverick

Jackie Taylor

Andrew Carrier

Steve Lockley

Jonathan Taylor

Richard Carter

Antonia Lovelace

Chevy J Thompson

Sub-Saharan Africa

Shannon Cherry

Emson Maneya

Tim Unwin

The area south of the Saharan desert in the continent of Africa

Lia Colombino

Katarina Massing

Karim Vahed

Melissa Coons

Adam McCready

Shelagh Wain

Elspeth Cranston

Amelia Meran

Toni Walford

Ed Darby

Zagba Oyortey

Kat & John Woodward

Lubna Din

Oral Phillips

Sarah Worden

Dubrek Studios

Naomi Pierrepoint

Barbara Woroncow

Serene Duff

Helen Powell

Kerry Edwards

David & Janette Edge

Adeena Raslee

Hope Falk

Alison Englefield

Steven Pryce

Jade Foster

Catherine Falkner

Naomi Rubinstein

Margaret Wright

Pacific Ocean Islands in the Pacific Ocean east of Indonesia and Australia

Unprovenanced The object’s place of origin is unknown

Guide co-designed with Leach Studio. Published by Derby Museums 2018.

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