Jewellery: The Roots Project Contemporary Beaded Dinka Corset
The Roots Project [South Sudan]
Absolutely stunning; I am in awe of this draped cape, it looks like it has been knitted but in fact has made with strand upon strand of tiny beads and in what is most certainly a time-consuming process. Known as a Dinka Corset the garment takes a few weeks to make and is just one of the examples of contemporary and traditional jewellery being produced by members of the Roots Project, a not-for-profit organisation with a centre based in Nimra Talata, Juba, the capital of South Sudan located by the Nile River. Founded in 2009 by Anyieth D’Awol; a human rights activist, researcher, and writer on women’s rights the Roots Project provides a platform and secure environment to help women gain economic independence from creating and selling traditional crafts.
[Image credit: top, Dinka Corset; bottom, Traditional Jewellery – The Roots Project]
As with many African cultures and traditions, traditional Sudanese jewellery is deeply symbolic relating to ceremonies, rites of passage, age, and social status. Highly prized possessions, the intricately beaded Corsets are traditionally worn by unmarried men and women of the Dinka tribe, removed once married. Creation of the Corsets is said to be a dying skill and the ones produced at the Roots Project Centre are made by Mary Padar, a South Sudanese grandmother and artist, who is the only one at the centre who knows how to make the Corsets, a skill learned in her youth and one which she is teaching to the younger members of the centre. Mary will be attending the Santa Fe Folk Art Market in July 2012 as part of a team representing the Roots Project. The jewellery made at the Centre is often one-of-a-kind reflecting the creative styles of the different South Sudanese tribes including; Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk and Mundari.
[Image credit: Dinka Corset – The Roots Project]
South Sudanese by birth and having lived and studied in various countries around the globe including the UK and the USA, Anyieth returned to the newly created nation to open the Roots Project Centre, a multipurpose space used for literacy and numeracy classes, jewellery production, exhibitions and cultural gatherings. The philosophy of the ROOTS PROJECT is to bring the people of South Sudan together, helping to promote peace and understanding whilst exploring and developing economic and educational opportunities. The centre relies on funding as well as selling it’s locally made products; and the hope is to expand the model to other cities across South Sudan.
..a celebration of beauty, heritage and artistry
Additional details:
Jewellery prices start at: USD$30-USD$200+
For further information about the Roots Project visit: www.rootsofsouthsudan.org
