Hip belt
- Description
- Such belts are worn by unmarried girls to attract the attention of young men at the many youth dances. More than one belt was worn. They were never sold in the market but could be exchanged privately for one goat or two depending upon width. Decorated with various symbols such as the triangle (misyi) which refers to a big arrow could be a reference to an old type of house.
- Accession Loan No.
- 10/2010/25
- Collection Class
- Personal ornament
- Common Name
- hip belt
- Simple Name
- hip belt
- Full Name
- hip belt (musyondo)
- Dimensions
- whole diameter 255 mm; whole width 34 mm
- Cultural Group
- Kamba
- Production Year High
- 1973
- Production Country
- Kenya
- Production Area Region
- East Africa
- Production Continent
- Africa
- Family Group
- Material
- glass; organic fibre; organic fibre
- Function Name
- adornment and dance regalia
- Function Detail
- Kamba hip belt (Musyondo sing. Misyondo pl. or ivate) of three cores wound around with beads. That baobab fibre is also used to thread the beads. Hip belts seem to be called musyondo if worn over clothing and iliki if worn under clothing.
