Belt

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Culture Kamba

Title Belt

Date 20th century

Medium Glass beads, string, and and coins

Dimensions Object: 22 1/2 × 6 in. (57.2 × 15.2 cm)
Overall: 22 1/2 × 6 in. (57.2 × 15.2 cm)

Credit Line Museum Purchase with Funds from the Jacqueline O'Brien Art Acquisitions Fund, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 2009.4

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About this Work

Kamba beadwork emphasizes the use of white beads, and it is common to have geometric design on a white background. Typical motifs include triangles, arrows, diamonds, and rectangles.

Often additional materials such as buttons, chains, or as is the case here, coins are included. These additions are both for visual effect and to create a pleasant sound as the wearer moves. While in the past both men and women wore these belts, today they are only worn by women and girls while they dance.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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Cite this Page
"Belt | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=2009.4