12.1.11

Warrior Elements

Maasai Jewellery

Maasai Jewellery

Maasai Jewellery

Maasai Jewellery

Maasai Jewellery

Maasai Jewellery

Maasai Jewellery

Maasai Jewellery

flickr, ebay, google


The African Maasai are so amazing, I'm totally in awe of their tribal adornments..just one piece worn with a ripped up basic is so rad..


Beaded Choker here and cuff here
African Cowrie bags here and here
Maasai Beaded Pieces in last image available here

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

these images are beautiful! great post!xx

http://godsavethefashionblog.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

i love the tribal, ethnic jewellery

I am obsessed with pieces like that <3

http://say-bleurgh.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I stayed with the maasai for a month in eastern tanzania two years ago...believe it or not they bead all those braclets with their teeth...its awesome! i have so many of these its ridiculous!
love love love your blog
xo
kels

liv said...

this would have to be one of my favourite posts. the images are so beautiful. the jewelery is amazing. i would love to do what the anon above did. to be apart of that for a month and get to witness how they live and create such beautiful pieces.. i couldn't imagine. how we do things is so lame compared! lol

x x x x

Anonymous said...

Love it!

tobaccoandleather said...

I love this stuff. I spend hours looking through books of all different tribes and cultures in the library! So happy you posted about it XX

Where's My Other Shoe? said...

oh.dear.gawwwwd.
you know you're killing me.
it's like for the love of crochet but different, but the same, but different. mmm mmmm mmmm mmmm, loooooove.

Karen said...

I know what you mean. I love all the Maasai's jewellery and adornment.

It's beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Two words for you: cultural appropriation. Where do you get off thinking it's okay to wear their jewelry?

... Oh, I forgot, you think they're ~so amazing~. No damage done, then, I guess. You'll probably say "but why can't I appreciate their culture?"

Appreciating it is learning about it, admiring it, letting it be. Appropriating it is taking it and wearing it for yourself. There is absolutely no way that you really know what those "adornments" mean to the Maasai, and unless you do and ARE a member of that tribe, you are disrespecting the meaning of the jewelry by wearing it. You are sucking the meaning out of the tribe's traditions and only taking a single aspect of it for yourself - the decoration, and the way it makes your western self seem ~hip~ and ~ethnic~ and more ~flavorful~ - not anything else that comes along with being Maasai. Which is a lot of bullshit and oppression from inhabitants of western nations, namely white people. Disappointed to see this on your blog, because you have lovely fashion and aesthetic sense... just no knowledge of what you're doing when it comes to respecting traditional attire, I guess.

Callahan Brooks said...

I completly understand where your coming from, great inspiration, x

http://peaceandloveand.blogspot.com/

Oracle Fox said...

I know the Maasai jewellery is so amazing and such a beautiful part of who they are as people!

Anonymous, I'm so sorry that you feel this way and my post it not intented to offend or disrespect the Maasai culture or people. It's a shame also that you fell this way towards my post, and maybe it's because I choose not to write too much under each post and go into too much personal detail. If only you knew me and the connection I have to this post you would understand that I a full appreciation of the Maasai culture and that until you really know me as a person it is unfair to judge, especially from an Anonymous identity. yours kindly Mandy

Anonymous said...

I honestly can't get over those cuffs. They need to be mine.

www.christenmitchellstyling.com

Spell and the Gypsy Collective said...

A beautiful girlfriend of mine spent time with a traveling Masai in Lamu last year and brought back some of his beautifully hand-crafted pieces so we could share his beautiful creations here.

Personally I think it's a wonderful thing. Thanks for sharing these images Mandy! Absolutely gorgeous : )

Anonymous said...

Masai jewellery is beautiful and should be celebrated. im sorry annonymous, but ive spent alot of time with the Masai also and i think your view is extremely one sided... Alot of the headdresses you see are for special ceremonies, i agree with you there.. but most of the necklaces and bracelets are for asthetic purposes... and unfortunately, if it wasnt for our interest in buying them alot of the masai couldnt afford to survive. Alot of them travel great distances to touristy areas just to sell their jewellery.. im sure they dont share your view on this matter

Miyan said...

love, love, love.

Miyan

www.miyan-overseas.blogspot.com

Karin said...

Aah, love this post! I spent a month in Kenya with my mom volunteering as a doctor and brought home a lot of masai jewellery. Use them alot!
xx

tribal is rad? said...

My issue is with the fashion industry using the flash words like 'tribal' 'ethinic' 'warior' 'wild' 'animalistic' and the list goes on when talking about anything non European. Great that a local economy and artists are being supported and appreciated by international trade and admiration but at least be accurate with geography, cultural groups etc. when pieces are so inspired. This post is a step in the right direction with being positive and geographically accurate...just drop the 'tribal' shit. and God love all the do-gooders who go to Africa to check it off their good samaritan list. whatever. i guess it's better than nothing.