Himba nation - unusual jewelry of the Red Women

Namibia - hearing this word we see with the eyes of our imagination the Namib, the oldest desert in the world, exotic animals or the fog on the coast, which - like dew - envelops and moistens the scanty vegetation. I don't think many people think of ladylike adornments when doing so. And yet, in the extremely dry Kunene region of northwestern Namibia, the nomadic Himba people have created stunning examples of decorative art.

Hairstyles, costumes and jewelry play a very important role in Himba culture. In particular, representatives of the more beautiful half of this nation spend hours each morning "lipsticking" and decorating their bodies.

Himba women are, in general, dressed (or rather undressed) in short headbands made of tanned goatskin. For this, they rub their entire bodies, from the feet to the top of their heads, with a mixture prepared from red powdered iron oxide (ochre), fat, herbs and the resin of the balsam bush (omuzumba). Leather headband, hair and ornaments also undergo the same procedure. The mixture (otjize) gives the body an intense reddish color and a very striking appearance. Women resemble beautiful statues made of reddish-brown clay.

Such an action serves in this driest region of the Earth, where every drop of water is priceless, to cleanse the body and protect it from the sun and insects. In addition, it is a kind of comprehensive makeup, an indispensable means of enhancing beauty, without which it is inappropriate to appear in public. The same goes for the abundance of ornaments. Very numerous and impressive ornaments make the practical nakedness of women barely noticeable with their magnificence.

Himba beauties proudly wear large, very massive necklaces made of metal, sea snail and clam shells, which they grind into round plates with a hole. These shell beads are strung into long chains, which most women then wear.

Another type of ornament, immediately striking, is a single, large shell, called "oHumba," in a shade of red, white or brown. It forms a combination with four or five horizontal rows of metal wires or bones, which are threaded directly through the shell and fixed and decorated with leather, grass and numerous metal beads. The ohumba has a hole made in the back through which long thongs completely covered with beads are threaded, reaching almost to the woman's knees. These long cords are fixed under the belt so that they do not whip around the legs when walking.

For balance, this chain has something like fan-shaped pectorals, which hang between the woman's shoulder blades and keep the ornaments in place. Naturally, one should not forget the bracelets on the arms and legs, usually made of leather and metal beads, which, including the necklaces and belt, weigh many kilograms. Nevertheless, tall and very slender Himba women wear these heavy ornaments with such grace as if they were made of feathers. Only envy them.

And what does an adult Himba woman wear under her leather apron? The supposed answer "nothing" is incorrect in this case! When a Himba wants to attract the attention of the man of her choice, she puts an elaborately embroidered with metal beads belt under her headband. You could say, such an African variant of European erotic underwear... This belt is worn only for such special occasions, and otherwise carefully stored.

When the "hunt" for a partner is successful, the lady receives from her chosen one another embroidered belt, which will be worn every day but over the headband, so that it is visible to everyone. This gift expresses a man's feelings for his partner: the more richly decorated with beads, chains, simple graphic symbols and even old cartridge casings (a frequent remnant of the Angolan war), the more in love the man is. And his fantasy has no bounds: the Himba make use of every piece of metal that, it would seem, can no longer be useful for anything. What's more, despite their simplicity, they can create ornaments full of good taste and extremely beautiful even to European eyes. It is astonishing with what dexterity "Western" waste is processed. While wandering through the barren areas of their homeland, they often find Himba forgotten or abandoned items that are useful for their purposes. Despite the Himba's reluctance to interact with Western civilization, there are also occasional gifts or small exchanges of goods.

Although the jewelry of the Himba people has by nature strictly defined by tradition and is relatively easily recognizable, it continually impresses with its ever-new details and the fact that it adorns women so elegantly despite its size and bulk. A great success for a nation that today is among the poorest in the world.