Beaded Double Headed Snake Belt - Tribal Art
The double headed snake is the symbol of the Bamum Kingdom. Initially the King was the only person to wear the belt made of a raffia woven strip covered with cloth and beads. After the arrival of the Germans, important lineage representatives were also allowed to use these Regalia. This belt is beautifully decorated with white and yellow glass beads. Both ends of the belt feature a stunning star motif. The two stars are linked by a striking pattern of interchanging yellow and white chevrons that meet in the middle in a series of asymmetrically coloured concentric squares.
Dimensions approx. 205 x 13 x 1 cm
Beaded art from the Cameroon Grasslands collected between 1985 and 2005. Rulers throughout the many Kingdoms in the Cameroon Grassland region (Bamileke –Bamum -Tikar) employed a range of Regalia to assert their political, economic and religious power. Presented publicly in lavish displays of wealth and power, many court objects were distinguished by their elaborate bead embroidery. Imported from Venice, Bohemia or Amsterdam, glass beads were considered a luxury material whose use and distribution were controlled by the King. The decoration of objects with vast quantities of brilliantly colored beads transformed utilitarian objects into symbols of royal status and prestige.
All lots are in the state the collector acquire them. No restorations or cleaning has been performed.
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