CRAFT STORIES | AFRICA | KENYA | BEADWORK
The Story of Samburu Beading
For the Samburu of northern Kenya, beads and beaded adornments have specific and nuanced meanings tied to centuries-old traditions. Each bead is significant, and each magnificent piece is a fully realized story.
“We always wear them, even when we sleep. If we are not wearing them, we don’t feel right,” an elderly Samburu woman explains. She is referring to the dazzling layers of beaded neckpieces that she and her counterparts are wearing. They are all sitting on the ground, busy with beads. In their tool kit: a single razor blade, metal wire, fishing wire, and hundreds—if not thousands—of multi-colored glass beads.
Their traditions date back centuries. Beads are to the Samburu, in northern Kenya, what words are to a story — each color, pattern, and arrangement communicates status, identity, and life’s milestones. The Mporo necklace, for example, is a symbol of marital status worn by Samburu wives. It stands out from the other neckpieces. Down the front of it, distinctive red glass beads form a central line.
These beads were produced in Venice from the 1880s through the early 20th century, specifically for trade with African communities. The incorporation of Venetian beads into the Mporo necklace underscores a marriage of traditional Samburu craftsmanship with materials introduced through historical trade. Today, the necklace is made with plastic beads imported from the Czech Republic.
At 21, Anastasia, who started beading when she was 10, is the youngest among the group of women before us. They chose her to represent them because she is also the most educated. “I was watching my mother since I was a young child,” she explains. “This is how beading knowledge is passed from generation to generation.”
Anastasia uses her background in business studies to strengthen her beading business. According to the women, it can take up to two weeks to make a single neckpiece, depending on the style. Al- though watching them work, one gets the impression they could do it in their sleep.
Traditionally, seeds, ostrich eggshells, and cowrie shells were used to make Samburu bodily adornments. Nowadays, small glass beads are the most prominent feature, with red, orange, yellow, turquoise, white, and black as the favored colors. The makers employ various techniques: beads stringed on wire, netted patterns, and beads couched onto leather.
Traditional creations include the neckpieces, which are wide collars that cover much of the neck and chest area, headpieces, bracelets, bangles, and earrings. Particular colors and different styles, even quantities, communicate status in both personal and social life.
“We feel beautiful and special when we wear our beads,” Anastasia affirms. Indeed, hearing the Samburu speak and watching them at work makes it clear that beading is much more than just a cultural practice for this community. It is their way to exhale and relax at the end of a long day tending to the homestead. It is their way to commune with fellow women. It is their way of expressing love for their family and friends. It is their way to... be.
Words by Yaye Kassamali
Images by Harrison Thane
EXPLORE THE ATLAS
