Adornment

The principal adornment of these girls from the Bundu tribe in Sierra Leone is the adornment of bodies and faces with markings produced by the smearing on by the fingers of a substance called "wojeh," composed of white clay and animal fat.

An adornment is generally an accessory or ornament worn to enhance the beauty or status of the wearer. They are often worn to embellish, enhance, or distinguish the wearer, and to define cultural, social, or religious status within a specific community. When worn to show economic status, the items are often either rare or prohibitively expensive to others. Adornments are usually colourful, and worn to attract attention.

They have a long history, around the world, from feathers or bone, to modern accessories, such as jewellery.^[1] Items of adornment are also used by warriors, and by other members of the military to show rank or achievement.^[2]

Items of adornment

These include cosmetics, jewellery, clothing accessories, facial hair, fingernail modification, piercing, lip plates, tattooing, braiding, and head gear.

Cultures, subcultures, and institutions

Groups who practice adornment include the Yakuza, military, religious institutions, tribal groups, and the punk culture.^[3] Items of adornment can tell us about a person's rank, social status, gender role, area of origin, etc. An example would be the beaded jewelry worn by the Maasai tribe, which is very specific to them and some related tribes.

Images

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  A heavily adorned general

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  A Shona witch doctor wearing skins and beads

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  Pope Benedict XVI

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  Punk adornment

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  A modern example of adornment: Bling-bling

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  Maasai beaded jewelry

See also

• Fashion accessory
• Body modification
• Native American jewelry

References

Further reading

• Kniel, N; Wright, T:Ribbon: The Art of Adornment, press, ISBN 978-1-4236-0346-7
• Boucher, François:20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment, H.N. Abrams, 1987.
• White, Carolyn L.:American Artifacts of Personal Adornment, 1680-1820:A Guide to Identification and Interpretation, Altamira Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-7591-0589-8, ISBN 0-7591-0589-8
• Bouchot, Henri:The Printed Book, Its History, Illustration, and Adornment, from the Days of Gutenberg to the Present Time, General Books, 2010, ISBN 978-1-153-10013-7, ISBN 1-153-10013-4
• Gurel, Lois M., Beeson, Marianne S.:Dimensions of dress and adornment: a book of readings, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1979.
• LaGamma, Alisa (1991). Metropolitan jewelry. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 0870996169. 

External links

• Examples of African adornment
• Adornment at DMOZ

Timeline and History of Clothing and Fashion
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