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DiaporamaAfrican Heritage Necklace of silver and
Alan Donovan Phillips Leitch (1946 – 2021)
Alan Donovan (1946-2021): Kenyan artist & Pan-African visionary. Creator of vibrant African Heritage necklaces – malachite, brass, beads – and co-founder of Nairobi’s iconic African Heritage House.
African Heritage House (Nairobi, Kenya)
Explore African Heritage House in Nairobi: a cultural gem showcasing Pan-African art, textiles & design. Discover traditional crafts, heritage, and contemporary expressions of African creativity. A unique museum experience awaits!
An African Heritage Necklace designed and created by Alan Donovan of African Heritage. It is made of hollow silver or silver alloy baubles from Lamu (probably originating in Yemen) with “False Coral” beads from Nigeria. In the old Kingdom of Benin, coral was the bead used on all royal regalia and was reserved only for the royalty on penalty of death, unless presented to commoners in a “ceremony of the beads” similar to knighthood in Europe. Thus commoners created a glass bead that resembled coral which they could wear. Most of these beads are very old as coral beads were first brought in by the Portuguese in 1492.
About this artwork
- Title: African Heritage Necklace of silver and
- Artist: Alan Donovan Phillips Leitch
- Copyright status: Under copyright
- Where to see it: African Heritage House
- Corpus context: beadwork traditions , donovan's signature style
- Keywords: pan-african design , benin royal regalia , ethnographic photography
- Topics: beadwork artistry , kenyan craftsmanship , silver beads jewelry
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