Collection record · Objects & craft
Under apron (iinkciya)
The collection record classifies this work as garment. It is dated 1800s–1900s. Recorded culture or place: Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Xhosa-style (South Nguni) maker.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Under apron (iinkciya)
- Date
- 1800s–1900s
- Culture / origin
- Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Xhosa-style (South Nguni) maker
- Materials and technique
- Leather, glass beads, and sinew
- Dimensions
- Overall: 34 x 18 x 2.5 cm (13 3/8 x 7 1/16 x 1 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 2010.206
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
This is an exquisite example of a rare type of swallowtail-shaped apron worn by young female initiates until the mid-19th century. On the upper portion, the black beads were applied in such a way that they can be read as a human face or even as a full figure. In fact, the overall form of the apron can be viewed as representing the lower torso and legs of a woman with a neatly marked pubic region.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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