Beads of Life: Eastern and Southern African Beadwork from Canadian Collections

Karen F. Danielson, Ph.D., is a research consultant at Laurentian
University who specializes in leisure, textiles, family life, and Japan.

Marie-Louise Labelle provides a context for understanding how rich the
memories and associations might have been when traditional ornamentation
was a part of daily life. Then, women may have worn skirts made from the
skin of the animals that were sacrificed for their marriage, the beauty
of seeds and shells depended on how they reflected qualities that were
good for the society, and ornamentation was likely to pass from person
to person and generation to generation. Black may have represented the
water in dark clouds and white might have been a symbol for milk, while
the jagged edge of a skirt could have indicated that the wearer was
married, an iron bracelet might have signified leadership among men, and
cowrie shells on a woman’s belt may have meant that the wearer had a
child who was weaned.

Labelle also describes the transition to colourful glass beads at the
time of colonization, and she discusses the diverse ways colour,
symbols, and space were used in this more recent work. For a time, glass
beads may have led to meaningless and exaggerated decoration that served
foreign appetites for exotic imagery, but these beads also provided a
way to survive as well as a way to maintain and develop traditions. Now,
beaded objects are important in tourism and in fundraising programs for
aids. Politicians use beaded clothing to promote pan-Africanism, as well
as regional or national identity. Artists have used beads to create
connections with the past and strengthen their personal identity.
Fashion designers have developed beautiful contemporary ensembles
inspired by these traditions.

This book was produced to accompany the 2005 exhibition Beads of Life:
Eastern and Southern African Adornments, at the Canadian Museum of
Civilization. Featuring 173 illustrations, it preserves and enhances
that exhibition. Anyone who aspires to create, understand, or respect
ornamentation is likely to enjoy this book, including Canadians with
African heritage, artists using beads in their work, and those who like
to wear meaningful accessories.