Waist belt

Waist belt made of orange, yellow and white beads with core of cloth and rubbed down ends of conus shells stitched on it. It is made by married women for the older unmarried girls and newly married women. The shells were given by the swahili caravans in exchange for work. They were rubbed down on a stone using water by bachelors who in return for their work were given a special food mixed with ghee. These were used for dancing and smeared with cow oil or a sweet smelling plant called chutu whose roots were ground up.