In the present day, akalach belts are worn by many women at celebratory events, most notably weddings, and sometimes at Asapan ceremonies. Here Ekaale Lowasa begins the process of sewing small plastic beads into a rectangular strip of jerrycan.
Session
C010Rights owner
Samuel Frederick DerbyshireCultural group
TurkanaParticipants
Ekaale LowasaCountry
KenyaPlace
Nakurio, TurkanaItem/object
Akalach beltSocial group setting
Craftsperson at work aloneLocation
HomeTemporality
This object took a year to make, although if there was an urgent need for one it could easily be completed within a month or two. The akalach is generally considered to have replaced older forms of decorative belt, which were comprised of skin and ostrich eggshell beads. It performs a similar role to these older belts in many contexts.Date of creation
2020-05-03Unique ID
2019LG02-C010-0710
