Chestlet

Materials used to make this chestlet are a piece of cloth black in colour, buttons, wire and aluminium bell all bought from a Indian shop in Kitui town. The thread used was obtained locally from sisal fiber and the aluminium beaten from an old cooking pot by an old man; a kamba blacksmith to make the bells. He cuts the small pieces of the sufuria using a tool called ngesa and folds the bell using a ngolia to shape it to size of resemble a half moon. The white buttons are stitched on the cloth. The chestlet were never sold in the market and made only on request in exchange for an animal like a one goat for the chestlet (mavandalia). Any young boy wishing to marry can leave this chestlet to his brother. The normally wear them during traditional dances called nzaiko participated by both men and women.