Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ceremonial skirt

Iraqw artist

Date

early 20th century

Medium

Hide, glass beads, metal

Culture

Iraqw

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Iraqw women’s skirts are among the most elaborately decorated garments from East Africa. In the past, Iraqw girls dressed in a plain hide cloak until they reached puberty. During their rite of passage, which lasted up to a year, they enlarged and transformed their drab garment into a colorful skirt that highlighted their new identity. Each of these ceremonial skirts is unique, the design depending on the skill of the individual maker and the resources available. In Iraqw culture, the color white has associations with light, health, well-being, and purification. It is the dominant bead color of most ceremonial skirts. Tanzania

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