height: 6-3/4 in. (with fringe) width:17-3/4 in
Gift of Dr. Steven Conant in honor of Dr. Barbara Herman and Ms. Ursula Kolmstetter
Various African arts dealers; Steve Conant, Indianapolis, Indiana; given to IMA November 9, 2007.
Imported European glass beads were once widely traded across Africa. These vibrant and colorful beaded modesty aprons were worn in Cameroon by young girls during dances, harvest festivals and rites of passage rituals, such as marriage ceremonies and puberty celebrations. Cowrie shells, symbols of fertility and spiritual protection, were often attached to the bottom of the aprons.
The abstract designs on these aprons are composed of triangles, diamonds, zigzags, checkerboards and stripes. Figures, animal motifs and architectural settings are sometimes depicted. Modesty aprons were commonly worn until the independence of Cameroon in 1960, after which women were banned from wearing them in public.
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