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Woman's Modesty Apron

A work made of goatskin, glass beads, leather, and metal.

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  • A work made of goatskin, glass beads, leather, and metal.

Date:

20th century

Artist:

Turkana
Kenya
Eastern and Southern Africa

About this artwork

This goatskin garment would have been worn by a married woman—but its designs and bead colors indicate a different regional affiliation and fashion preference. Because this apron is fully covered in beads, it was probably reserved for special occasions rather than part of everyday wear. As in this example, the rows of beads along each of the side edges were typically made from iron, providing extra weight to keep the apron in place.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Artist

Turkana

Title

Woman's Modesty Apron

Place

Kenya (Object made in:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1900–1999

Medium

Goatskin, glass beads, leather, and metal

Dimensions

53.4 × 17.8 cm (21 × 7 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Michael R. Mack Collection

Reference Number

2024.373

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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