Belt Ornament

Date20th century

Culture of Origin Matakam

Label TextTwo spirals suspended by a loop form a large flattened bead that a man of northern Cameroon wore. Iron is accorded a special status in parts of Africa where a "sacred iron complex" prevails. It was often considered a piece of the sun whose glow had to be hammered into shape by the first human ancestor to serve as tools.

Object number2007.127

Photo CreditPhoto by Tom Joyce

Exhibition HistoryAsheville, North Carolina, Life Force at the Anvil, A Blacksmith's Art from Africa, May 22 - August 28, 1998 Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, A Bead Quiz, July 1, 2008 - July 1, 2009

Credit LinePartial gift of Tom Joyce and partial purchase with funds from John and Robyn Horn

Dimensions2 x 2 3/4 x 1/8 in. (5.1 x 7 x 0.3 cm)

MediumIron