Woman's vest (alual)
Dinka
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Caption
Dinka. Woman's vest (alual), 20th century. Glass beads, fiber, fabric, wire, mounted: 30 1/2 × 20 × 4 1/2 in. (77.5 × 50.8 × 11.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund, 1997.1.3. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Woman's vest (alual)
Date
20th century
Geography
Place made: South Sudan
Medium
Glass beads, fiber, fabric, wire
Classification
Dimensions
mounted: 30 1/2 × 20 × 4 1/2 in. (77.5 × 50.8 × 11.4 cm)
Credit Line
Carll H. de Silver Fund
Accession Number
1997.1.3
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more.
Both Dinka men and women wear forms of beaded corsets such as these. While men's corsets are structured with strong wires that hug the body tightly, women's corsets are more ample and hang from the neck like a large necklace. Some scholars suggest that these ornaments are "extensions" of formerly existing belts for men and necklaces for women. The highly prized imported materials used to make this corset, such as glass beads and wire make the garment a marker of wealth and status. The corset can also be an indicator of one's advancement through age grades, availability for marriage, and bride price.This is BEAUTIFUL. Can you tell me more about it?
Of course! Among the Dinka of South Sudan both men and women have worn corsets historically, although the practice is not as ubiquitous today.Men's corsets are more structured and close fitting, like the Victorian-era corset we think of typically. However, women's corsets were more ample, hanging from the neck like a large necklace.Things like bead color, materials, and the construction of the garment can communicate characteristics of the wearer, such as age, wealth, and ethnic affiliation.Imported materials, especially beads and metals, were prized commodities and were markers of wealth and status for the Dinka.Because the Dinka are herders, portable possessions are very important and they have historically focused on adorning the human form as the primary method of artistic expression.Why is this called a corset?
The use of the word corset, in the English description of this object, is meant to pair this "Alual" with its male counterpart, "Manlual" which is much more like what we think of as a corset.Both adornments are worn by Dinka people as an indicator of adulthood.
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