Kuba Ceremonial Beaded Belt In the tree behind is

In the tree behind is a possum and the moon or sun is picked out in deeper carving as a white disk

This is known as "Kalti Paarti"

On one side is has I

presumably over a mesh core (or similar) to give the shape

Kuba Ceremonial Beaded Belt In the tree behind isAn early example of a Kuba beaded belt from the DRC. There are a few cowries missing as can be seen in the photos. On the reverse you can see that it is stitched with plant fibres onto a rough hessian type backing. This measures 91cm long and 6cm at its widest. Beads and royalty are closely linked in Africa. For centuries, African rulers accumulated valuable, locally made and imported beads. They also controlled their distribution and use. The