In addition to the technically required cookies, our website also uses cookies for statistical evaluation. You can also use the website without these cookies. By clicking on "I agree" you agree that we may set cookies for analysis purposes. You can see and change your cookie settings here.
The object, known as Ekori is a
sacred part of the Ovaherero pre-colonial women’s clothing, worn as a
type of hair dressing. The bunch or iron-bead strings are the
shoulder-length Ekori extensions worn at the back of the head. Ekori is
made of iron beads and animal skin usually derived from game animals of
Namibian origin, and supplemented by the animal skin of domestic animals
in pastoral communities like the Herero. It is so crafted to seem like
and symbolise the horns of a cow, which is an economically and
spiritually iconic animal in the Hereroland, e.g. the cow was the
Herero’s main source of wealth and sustenance. However, the 19th century
missionaries considered the cow horns symbolism as devilish and rejected
it, thereby causing the people to people to switch the material from
which Ekori was made, from animal to fabric; hence, its current name,
Otjikaiva “headgear made from fabric”. Basically, Ekori was worn by
married women, and held in place by a head band studded with iron beads.
Ekori was a solemnity of matrimony object. At weddings the bride was
solemnly crowned with an Ekori and a woman’s bonnet by her mother (Lang,
2022) as a sign of her new status: adult and married. Ekori is worn
above leather women’s bonnets like those exhibited under the inventory
numbers V 15168 N 02 & V 15169 N 02 as part of the adult womanhood
attire, alongside shin ornamental bands such as those exhibited under
inventory numbers 60558 and 60559.
Lang, Sabine, 2022: Modische Schwergewichte aus
Namibia – Traditionelle Kleidung und Schmuck der Hererofrauen. Eine
virtuelle Ausstellung, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7PTJkicT6U
Information about the record
Funding
The project "Provenance and History of
the Mylau/Reichenbach Ethnological Collection" was 2022/23 funded by the
Center for the Loss of Cultural Assets, the State Office for Museums Saxony
and the Vogtland-Zwickau cultural area.
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
Necklace made from iron beads
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
Container
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
Headdress
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
B02983/2 Arrow
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
B00689 Make-up tin
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
Bangles
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
B03418 Spoon
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
Box
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
Wooden mortar
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
Save
B03034 Leg jewellery
This collection item does not have a name in the language of origin. If you know the name or have comments, use this form to contact the data-providing institution.
