To order images and/or obtain permission to use them commercially, please contact the KSHS Reference Desk at KSHS.reference@ks.gov or 785-272-8681, ext. 117.
For more information see the Copyright and Permission FAQ.
This necklace is called "Kay of the Heart." Beads like these were often worn by Zulu men and women as decoration and functioned as a form of communication. These particular necklaces were common gifts from a young girl to a favored lover. Margaret Walbridge, a Congregational missionary and the principle of Inanda Seminary (a boarding school for Zulu girls), collected this item during her time in South Africa in the 1920s and 30s. Originally from Russell, Kansas, Walbridge traveled extensively and used these beads in presentations meant to increase support for the seminary.
Date: between 1921 and 1936
Item Number: 221661
KSHS Identifier: 1930.11.17
Collections - Museum
Community Life - Religion - Missionaries
Date - 1920s
Date - 1930s
Objects and Artifacts - Personal Artifacts - Adornment - Necklace
Places - International - Africa
Type of Material - Objects and Artifacts
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/221661