kiniata (Belt)

Traditional Kikuyu belt, called a 'kiniata'. Worn by circumcised boys and, apparently, elders (former Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta used to wear such a belt).

Coiled light-brown coloured skin belt with beaded embellishments on rim and in centre. Rim has three strands of beaded sections. Beaded sections are in no particular order and consist of blue, white, green, red, and yellow coloured beads. Connected to the beaded rim are half-circle beaded designs that extend to the centre of the belt and are staggered the length of the piece. Each half circle consists of two different coloured beaded sections and near the centre of the belt there is a small metal circle inset into one of the half-circle beaded sections. Two holes in the skin at one end correspond with one long skin cording strap at the other end.