Beaded Box (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

19th–20th century
Kuba
Containers-Boxes
Textiles
raffia cloth, glass beads, cowries
Democratic Republic of Congo
Overall: 11 × 10 1/2 × 13 in. (27.94 × 26.67 × 33.02 cm)
2010.66a-b
This beaded box is designed to store royal regalia. Typical of Kuba design, the entire surface is covered with beads and cowries in carefully organized geometric patterns. The box is equipped with raffia loops at each corner and a long tether that threads through the loops to tighten the lid and secure the contents.
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
Fortune, Courage, Love: Arts of Africa’s Akan and Kuba Kingdoms from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, William King Museum, Abingdon, Virginia, March 28 - July 12, 2015; Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia, September 26, 2015 - January 3, 2016; Piedmont Arts, Martinsville, Virginia, January 16 - March 6, 2016
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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