Kuba Ceremonial Beaded Belt 5cm long and a really

5cm long and a really nice and unusually coloured specimen

but no signs of damage and no evidence of any repairs or restoration

It might have also been believed that the presence of these mummified animals also scared away rats and mice

These are used widely in jewelry making as the cut and polished faces are striking

The practice of putting sealing up dead animals into the walls of houses has been going since the middle ages in Europe

Kuba Ceremonial Beaded Belt 5cm long and a reallyAn early example of a Kuba beaded belt from the DRC. There are a few cowries missing as can be seen in the photos. On the reverse you can see that it is stitched with plant fibres onto a rough hessian type backing. This measures 91cm long and 6cm at its widest. Beads and royalty are closely linked in Africa. For centuries, African rulers accumulated valuable, locally made and imported beads. They also controlled their distribution and use. The