Have you had a chance to see the Beadwork Adorns the World exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art yet?
If not, don’t worry – the exhibit runs through February 3, 2019 – but pencil it in to your schedule, because this exhibit features works of art made from beads from the African continent, Borneo, Burma, India, Native North America and Latin America.
With examples of beadwork from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, Beadwork Adorns the World includes works made from glass beads as well as beads made from metal, cloth, shell, stone, and other materials.
“In most parts of the world, beads, having value, are used at peak moments in life. With their luster and sparkle, used as an adornment or surface additive, they help to heighten the effect, the impact, the meaning. These special moments in the life of the community tend to revolve around: life stages and passages – such as birth, becoming an adult, marriage, and death; power, position, or status in the community; the high meaning of the occasion – as seen in fine dress, house and animal decoration; and, communication with the spirits.”
http://www.internationalfolkart.org/exhibition/3348/beadwork-adorns-the-world