On view
African Art
Yet (belt),
20th century
Artist unrecorded
Kuba
2015-6682
This magnificent and distinct yet (belt) bears pendants representing a range of objects made of local and imported materials, including large shells from the coast and European glass beads. The large drawn, or wound, beads that adorn the central belt were likely mass-produced in Venice to meet the rising demand for beads in Central Africa, where they were used for currency and in decorative arts. Most of the pendants, such as the small hand mimicking a regent’s glove, are miniature versions of conventional bead- and shellwork worn as regalia in the Kuba court. Others have symbolic meaning, such as the stylized ram’s head (the ninth attachment from left), which is a visual metaphor for the king that refers to the royal right to own sheep.
Information
Title
Yet (belt)
Dates
20th century
Maker
Medium
Glass beads, cowrie and other shells, leather, cloth, and raffia
Dimensions
22.9 x 170.2 x 6.3 cm (9 x 67 x 2 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift from the Holly and David Ross Collection
Object Number
2015-6682
Place Made
Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Techniques
Private collection, France, by the 1960s or 1970s; Jean-Luc Estournel, Paris, France; Richard Ulevitch, La Jolla, CA; [purchased by Michael Oliver, New York, NY by 2005]; purchased by Holly and David Ross, Princeton, NJ, 2005; donated to the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ, 2015.
