THE MET
Traditional Coiled Wood and Leather Necklace
Empire / Regency · 1800s · African (Pokot peoples)
Production
handmade
Material
wood and leather
Culture
African (Pokot peoples)
A substantial traditional necklace composed of numerous small wooden beads or segments strung together in a continuous coiled formation. The piece creates multiple concentric circles when laid flat, suggesting it would form a wide collar around the neck when worn. The wooden elements appear to be uniform cylindrical beads in natural brown tones, connected with what appears to be leather cordage. The construction demonstrates traditional African beadwork techniques, with the coiled arrangement typical of Pokot jewelry traditions. The substantial weight and size indicate this was likely a prestige item, worn for ceremonial occasions or to display social status within the community.
scarf
Connected To
Technique·beadwork
LINEAGE170 years · cross-culture→ directed
Lineage: “African trade bead traditions”
That coiled wooden disc from the Pokot peoples, with its hypnotic spiral of tiny carved segments strung tight on leather, carries the DNA of a beadmaking tradition that would resurface in 1970s Britain as something looser and more improvised.
Text75%
Image73%
Entity17%
Technique·beadworkFunction·religious-ceremonial
SHARED210 years · cross-culture · cross-category
Text66%
Technique·beadworkFunction·religious-ceremonial
SHARED50 years · cross-culture
Text76%
Technique·beadworkFunction·religious-ceremonial
SHARED190 years · cross-culture · cross-category
Text41%
Echoes Across Time
Empire / Regency → 1970s · 170yr49%
LINEAGE
That coiled wooden disc from the Pokot peoples, with its hypnotic spiral of tiny carved segments strung tight on leather, carries the DNA of a beadmaking tradition that would resurface in 1970s Britain as something looser and more improvised.
Technique·beadwork
Empire / Regency → 2010s · 210yr46%
SHARED
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