Turkana cache sexe

Leather, glass trade beads, fiber cord

This richly decorated leather apron, known among the Turkana as a sexe, forms part of traditional female adornment worn around the waist. The piece is composed of softened animal hide covered with carefully arranged rows of small glass trade beads, creating bold geometric patterns in orange, green, black, white, red, and yellow. The apron’s flared lower section and narrow waist opening suggest it was tied or suspended from a belt around the hips.

The symmetrical beadwork reflects the strong visual language of Turkana ornamentation, where pattern, rhythm, and color are central to identity and aesthetic expression.

Among the Turkana people of northern Kenya, beaded aprons are traditionally worn by women as part of ceremonial or everyday dress. Such objects can signal age group, marital status, and social identity within the community. The use of brightly colored beads—introduced through trade networks in the 19th and 20th centuries—became an important medium through which women expressed creativity and cultural belonging.

Aprons like this would be worn alongside layered bead necklaces, waist belts, and metal adornments, forming a distinctive ensemble associated with Turkana dress and ceremony.

The leather base is hand-cut and shaped, after which hundreds of glass beads are individually stitched into the surface using thread or fiber. The careful alignment of colors and shapes demonstrates the precision and skill of Turkana beadwork traditions. Over time, the leather has developed a soft patina while the beads retain their vibrant color, highlighting the durability of these materials.