Kenya
Late 20th century
Glass beads, wire
Beadwork embodies many essential aspects of Maasai culture. It may signify beauty, age, marital status, warriorhood, family or tribal tradition, social status, or devotion to one’s cattle. Beads are used as everyday adornment, as well as in celebrations and rites of passage, and each color has a special meaning. Young Maasai women receive beads from their admirers; by age fifteen or sixteen, girls usually have acquired enough to invite a marriage proposal.