SB.1.206
Bracelet [Armlet]
Bracelet. Kenya. Bracelet formed by three sections of elephant ivory assembled in a ring by means of wire and copper wires. The two sides of the bracelet are engraved with small circles assembled in pairs at several points. "I also painted a witch doctor (...). He wore a thick bracelet of ivory cut from an elephant tusk. Another elder whom I portrayed in his ceremonial costume had three of these prized bracelets; I thought he probably wore them to show off his wealth "(Adamson. 1967: 299-301; pl. XXVIII). "This ivory armband is a symbol of the owner's membership in a secret society that controls much of the political power among the Miki Kenda of Kenya's coast. In western Kenya and parts of Uganda, limb ornaments are believed to effect cures of serious physical ailments" (Eugene C. Burt. Seattle Art Museum. 1986: 21).
Category: Bracelet