Maasai Beaded Collar Kenya Sidley Collection

A distinctive aspect of Maasai culture is their handmade jewelry, with women practicing beadworking to express personal identity within the tribe. Bead and jewelry choices often convey age and social status. Notably, unmarried girls wear large beaded disks, while married women wear long blue necklaces to indicate their marital status.

Traditionally, Maasai beads were crafted from local materials, with colors holding specific meanings. However, with the arrival of Europeans in the late 19th century, brightly colored glass beads became prevalent in Southeast Africa, influencing Maasai jewelry designs. Each color holds significance; for instance, red symbolizes bravery and unity, white represents peace and purity, and blue signifies rainfall and positive energy. These beads and jewelry have become a crucial source of income for the Maasai, supporting their economic well-being.

The Maasai, an ethnic group of Nilotic origin, reside primarily in central and southern Kenya, along with certain regions in Northern Tanzania, often near lakes. Known for their skill in cattle rustling, they are renowned as formidable warriors. Their society is largely patriarchal, with elder men holding authority in major community decisions. Traditionally, men handle animal care and hunting, while women manage domestic tasks and milking.

Monotheism forms the core of Maasai belief, centered around a deity named Enkai. Their lifestyle is semi-nomadic, relying on local resources for constructing homes and animal shelters. These structures are built with timber poles and plastered with a mixture of mud, sticks, ash, and cow dung for stability.

Provenance: Niña Sidley Collection

After a long career in publishing, Niña Sidley returned to her first love: collecting the art, artifacts, and textiles of the world’s indigenous peoples. Part of her mission has been to educate others and to honor the extraordinary creativity, ingenuity, and heartfelt messages these hand made works send from their makers. Niña believes this deep respect for tradition and beauty inspires and ties all of us together as one world.

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