12 stranded necklace made up of small glass beads in several colours, worn by women [RTS 25/5/2004].

Collection type: Object
Description: 12 stranded necklace made up of small glass beads in several colours, worn by women [RTS 25/5/2004].
Long description: Necklet made up of twelve strands of twisted plant fibre, strung with numerous small glass ring beads with convex sides, with the strands sewn together at 24 regular intervals along its length. The arrangement of the beads is very consistent, with each strand matching the colour patterns and numbers of the beads in the strand next to it, forming a symmetrical design that repeats a series of colour combinations along the length of the necklace. This is made up of repeating series of 2 red (Pantone 187C), 2 black (Pantone black 3C), 4 white, 2 black, 2 red, 4 yellow (Pantone 101C) and 2 red beads. In addition to the threads that tie the loose strands together at intervals, there are a series of six rectangular spacer beads that run across the full width of the necklace, through which each of the twelve strands passes. These are made of a soft, light greenish gray material, possibly rubber (Pantone 7494C). These spacers help define the design of the beadwork, breaking the necklace into five main sections. The central section, which would have been visible at the front of the neck, contains the multicoloured pattern described above, repeated four times. This is flanked on either side by shorter coloured bead sections, each of which is composed of two rows of green beads (Pantone 367C) flanked by single black, red, white, red, white and red beads on either side. The remaining ends of the necklace have the original multicoloured pattern repeated six times each. There is finally a short section of yellow, black and red beads, with a string tying this part off across the width, then a blue and black bead on a loose strand ending in a knot. At the centre of this end 'fringe', two red beads replace the blue beads. The necklace is largely complete, but both end spacer beads have broken and some of the fringe beads are missing, while the fibre thread which makes up the framework of the necklace trails loose. The cross threads have also broken at two places along the length of the necklace, and parts of two bead strands have been lost; there are also two breaks in the horizontal threads. The necklace is 463 mm long, and 30.2 mm wide. The spacer beads are 30.2 mm long, 2 mm wide and 2 mm thick; the beads are approximately 2 mm in diameter and 1.5 mm thick. It currently weighs 46.2 grams [RTS 25/5/2004].
Geographical reference: South Sudan
Africa > Eastern Africa > South Sudan; Eastern Equatoria Tiringot Kapoeta
Cultural groups: Northern Laarim
Person: Field collector Patti Langton; PRM source Patti Langton
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1979
Date collected: 23 March 1979
Acquisition information: Purchased: 1979
Materials and processes: Material Plant Fibre, Material Glass, Material Rubber Plant, Process Strung, Process Twisted, Process Tied
Dimensions: Length 463 mm, Width 30.2 mm, Weight 46.2 g
Object numbers: Accession number: 1979.20.153 Other numbers: Langton Collection PL 29
Research and responses: Similar beads, in white, green, red and black glass also appear on 1979.20.157, which is a Northern Larim ornament for the upper arm, while the red and white beads appear on some Lango ornaments (see 1925.14.11 and 1934.8.95) [RTS 8/9/2005].
Associated publications: Illustrated in colour as figure c on page 16 of A Shared Struggle: The People & Cultures of South Sudan, edited by Tim McKulka (no place [Juba]: Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, 2013). Caption (same page): 'Didinga or Larim beaded necklace'. [JC 28 2 2014]

Search terms: Ornament, Status, Bead, Neck Ornament

Search

Further items to explore