strands of red and black beads attached to central bars of cloth-covered metal with ties; rigid, arcing thread-covered bar with bead strands between (white, black and red) on back; pouch-like bottom element in front of brown cloth with black, red and white beaded strands with some highlighting blue beads; tassel of blue, black and red beads on back; cowrie shell at front top of "pouch"

Man's corset, about 1970

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On View in Gallery 254expand_more

Dinka men used to dress lightly—until recently, they simply covered their torsos in tight, beaded corsets, highlighting their lithe figures. But these garments did more than that: the colors of the beads signal social and marital status as well as the wearer’s age. Red and black means a young man between 15 and 25 years old.

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Details
Title
Man's corset
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2010.3.1
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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strands of red and black beads attached to central bars of cloth-covered metal with ties; rigid, arcing thread-covered bar with bead strands between (white, black and red) on back; pouch-like bottom element in front of brown cloth with black, red and white beaded strands with some highlighting blue beads; tassel of blue, black and red beads on back; cowrie shell at front top of "pouch"