Wodaabe Bororo Fulani Women's Finaru Cosmetics Container Niger MATTER COLLECTION

Handcrafted leather Finaru, a traditional cosmetics container used by Wodaabe (Bororo Fulani) women of Niger. Constructed from stitched leather over a tubular core, the container features a removable stopper and leather suspension strap. These elegant personal containers held cosmetic materials including red ochre, kohl, fragrant herbs, and other beauty preparations carried for everyday use and ceremonial occasions. The Finaru reflects the importance of personal adornment and craftsmanship within Wodaabe culture, where beauty and elaborate dress are central elements of social identity and courtship traditions.

The Wodaabe are traditionally nomadic cattle-herders and traders of long-horned Zebu cattle. The name means "those who dwell in cattle camps."

The Wodaabe are best known for their festivals where young men with elaborately painted  red faces will roll their eyes and show their teeth to emphasize male beauty characteristics such as: tallness, bright eyes and teeth; adorned with feathers and jewelry, perform the Yaake: dances and songs to impress eligible women.

Provenance: Matter Collection

From the collection of Margie and Phil Matter. Margie lived in South Africa, and later she and her husband Phil opened a gallery in Tucson. Everything in this collection was in their home for more than thirty years. Africa Direct recently bought the collection; at 95, Margie wants to share the things she has loved so much.

Height (In): 9.0
Length (in): 1.0
Width (in): 1.0

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