Dinka. Man's corset (malual), 20th century. Beads, fiber, wire, 18 x 16 in. (45.7 x 40.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund, 1997.1.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1997.1.1_PS6.jpg)
Dinka. Man's corset (malual), 20th century. Beads, fiber, wire, 18 x 16 in. (45.7 x 40.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund, 1997.1.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1997.1.1_bw.jpg)
Dinka. Man's corset (malual), 20th century. Beads, fiber, wire, 18 x 16 in. (45.7 x 40.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund, 1997.1.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1997.1.1_threequarter_PS6.jpg)
Man's corset (malual)
Arts of Africa
Dinka men regularly wear beaded corsets, partly as indicators of their age group and position. The yellow beads in this corset suggest that it may have been designed for a man over the age of thirty. The glass beads and wire used in making such corsets are imported products, making the outfits considerable markers of status and prestige.
CULTURE
Dinka
MEDIUM
Beads, fiber, wire
DATES
20th century
DIMENSIONS
18 x 16 in. (45.7 x 40.6 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Arts of Africa
ACCESSION NUMBER
1997.1.1
CREDIT LINE
Carll H. de Silver Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Beaded corset supported in the back by a long narrow rectangular form of rigid wire covered with brown fiber. The wire form, across which rows of beads are strung , is 3/4 in. wide and worn against the spine. The front open support is made of two rigid wires covered with brown fiber, one on either side, with alternating small wire loops all the way down, through which a third , seperate uncovered wire with a large loop at one end is pushed through to close the corset. There are ties on the top and bottom. Long strands of beads each stitched to the corset's support wires, are arranged to make bands of color that drape along the sides of the torso. The widest band of beads is yellow: narrower bands are red, dark blue, and light blue. Yellow is worn by Dinka men over 30 years old. Condition: Good. Fiber worn slightly.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Dinka. Man's corset (malual), 20th century. Beads, fiber, wire, 18 x 16 in. (45.7 x 40.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund, 1997.1.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1997.1.1_PS6.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 1997.1.1_PS6.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2011
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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