Maasai Wedding Collar
A maasai collar with four very long strands of beads, each in one solid color, ending with a cowry shell. The collar portion of the beading has a leather base.
- Object: Maasai Wedding Collar
- Artist: unknown
- Circa: unknown
- Dimensions: -
- Culture Area: Africa / Kenya
- Cultural Group: Maasai
- Cultural Context: Maasai wedding collars are made by the mother of the bride. In Maasai beading, each color has its own meaning related to a variety of cultural values and the material world. Red: bravery, unity, and blood. Often a cow is slaughtered when the Maasai meet and therefore unity is associated with red. White: peace, purity, and health. The association with health comes from white cows milk which the tribe drinks to stay healthy. Blue: energy and the sky. Orange: hospitality. Visitors are served cows milk from orange gourds. Yellow: also symbolizes hospitality. The animal skins on visitors beds are yellow. Green: health and land. Black: the people and the struggles they must endure, wisdom.
- Donor: Sharon Koch
- Catalog #: 2025.5.53