cma-african-art: Necklace, 1800, Cleveland Museum of Art: African ArtWhen wild game was still plenti
cma-african-art: Necklace, 1800, Cleveland Museum of Art: African ArtWhen wild game was still plentiful in the region, real animal claws would have been used to punctuate beaded prestige necklaces. Lion-claw necklaces were the exclusive property of royalty while the bone imitations were owned and worn by high-ranking individuals of lesser status. Large red glass beads were also reserved for the Nguni elite in the period before the destruction of the Zulu kingdom in 1879.Size: Overall: 38.1 cm (15 in.)Medium: glass beads, bone, sinewhttps://clevelandart.org/art/2010.231 -- source link