amahumbu, necklet, worn by most amagqala (senior abafana, i.e. Men of 40-45) to dances (iintlombe), sacrifices and feats. Amathumbu - intestines, so called because the intertwined loops of beadwork resemble twisted intestines. Closes with bead loop (isango-a gate) and mother of pearl button (ikole; buttons with two holes are ikolo. Those with four holes are amaghosha). Bead colours: white-mhlop, bark blue-unyembe, pink-umolugwane, turquoise-ihobe.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
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