H x W x D: 25.1 x 6 x 1.5 cm (9 7/8 x 2 3/8 x 9/16 in.)
Type:
Jewelry
Geography:
Lake Natron, Tanzania
Date:
Mid-late 20th century
Label Text:
These ear oranments hung from a leather strap over the woman's ears. Their rainbow like pattern is similar to the flat plate like necklace also worn by the woman. If you look closely you can see that while very similar, the two pieces are not identical, generally a sign that they were intended for local use rather than tourist sale.
Description:
Pair of women's ear ornaments. Each earring consists of 2 rows of tiny beads strung on wire in elongated ovoid shapes with horizontal divisions across the center and vertical divisions in the lower half.
Provenance:
Nancy Nooter, field collected, Lake Natron Tanzania, 1980-1981
Robert and Nancy Nooter, Washington, D.C., 1981 to 1985
Exhibition History:
Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing
Beaded Splendor, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June-October 9, 1994
Published References:
Geary, Christraud M. and Andrea Nicolls. 1994. Beaded Splendor. Exhibition booklet. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, no. 21 (erratum in id).
Robbins, Warren M. and Nancy Ingram Nooter. 1989. African Art in American Collections. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 524, nos. 1383-1384.
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