01/03/2013
Now available at Ink Ideas, waist beads.
Waist beads can serve as a symbol of femininity. The beads were an integral part of African female initiation lodges in the Old Kongo Empire, according to The Orb of Djenra. I think of them as colorful strands of femininity vibrant glass or clay beads, gemstones, pieces of horn, shells and sometimes gold or silver fittings, strung together by hand and tailored to embrace a woman's individual midsection.
Yet they're more than just pretty baubles. The colours and the reasons for wearing them bear many meanings and a degree of mystery and folklore. While the practice dates back centuries in various regions of Africa, it takes on different interpretations in other cultures.