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Elite Xhosa women once wore beaded garments like this on festive occasions. Made almost completely from imported Venetian or Bohemian glass beads, they were overt status symbols. Imported beads functioned as money for the Xhosa between circa 1770 and 1829. These garments’ female maker carefully selected beads of the highest quality, uniform in color, shape, and size. Made in the same shape as the pendant, a swallowtail-shaped apron (CMA 2010.206) worn under the skirt completed the ensemble.
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- Page
- 1
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- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 01c575f84f5cf3f6
- Size
- unknown
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- ID
- 456947
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "456947",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Royal ceremonial headdress (umnqwazi)",
"description": "Elite Xhosa women once wore beaded garments like this on festive occasions. Made almost completely from imported Venetian or Bohemian glass beads, they were overt status symbols. Imported beads functioned as money for the Xhosa between circa 1770 and 1829. These garments’ female maker carefully selected beads of the highest quality, uniform in color, shape, and size. Made in the same shape as the pendant, a swallowtail-shaped apron (CMA 2010.206) worn under the skirt completed the ensemble.",
"date": "1800s",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.49.a",
"rights": "CC0",
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"imageCount": 1,
"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 64.1 x 27.6 cm (25 1/4 x 10 7/8 in.)",
"cul": [
"Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southeast Cape Region, Unknown female Xhosa-style maker(s)"
],
"accession": "2022.49.a"
}
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Document identity
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"localId": "456947",
"label": "Royal ceremonial headdress (umnqwazi)",
"core": "obj",
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Document source metadata
{
"id": "456947",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Royal ceremonial headdress (umnqwazi)",
"description": "Elite Xhosa women once wore beaded garments like this on festive occasions. Made almost completely from imported Venetian or Bohemian glass beads, they were overt status symbols. Imported beads functioned as money for the Xhosa between circa 1770 and 1829. These garments’ female maker carefully selected beads of the highest quality, uniform in color, shape, and size. Made in the same shape as the pendant, a swallowtail-shaped apron (CMA 2010.206) worn under the skirt completed the ensemble.",
"date": "1800s",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.49.a",
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],
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Document source extras
{
"tec": "Glass beads, sinew, and hide",
"tombstone": "Royal ceremonial headdress (umnqwazi), 1800s. Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southeast Cape Region, Unknown female Xhosa-style maker(s). Glass beads, sinew, and hide; overall: 64.1 x 27.6 cm (25 1/4 x 10 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Trust, 2022.49.a",
"collection": "African Art",
"didYouKnow": "The beads to make an ensemble like this cost several cattle in the early 1800s, an amount most couldn't afford.",
"citations": [
{
"citation": "Van Wyk, Gary. “Illuminated Signs. Style and Meaning in the Beadwork of the Xhosa- and Zulu-Speaking Peoples.” <em>African Arts</em> 36, no. 3 (2003): 12–94. Fig. 7a.",
"page_number": "18",
"url": "http://www.jstor.org/stable/3337941"
},
{
"citation": "Pemberton, John. <em>African Beaded Art: Power and Adornment</em>. Northampton, Mass: Smith College Museum of Art, 2008.",
"page_number": "pp. 170–172"
}
],
"url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.49.a",
"creditline": "Severance and Greta Millikin Trust",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-29 09:04:54.904000",
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"sourceId": 456947,
"dept": "African Art",
"coll": "African Art",
"med": "Glass beads, sinew, and hide",
"thumbnail_url": null,
"image_url": null
}
Page context
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