Old East African beaded drinking vessel although most of the paint

although most of the paint has work=n off over the last century

They are typically found in the preserved sediments and often in groups

This example was part of a collection that came from a medical college

probably varying locally

The beads themselves are all different sizes and shapes which is an indication of the age of this item

Old East African beaded drinking vessel although most of the paintThis is an interesting item. It is an old beaded drinking vessel made from leather and wood. It looks to be East African, possible Maasai in origin and is certainly very old. The lower half of the vessel is wood with a wide band of leather very finely stitched onto the top. Looking from the inside, it appears that the stitching is so fine that it is waterproof. The whole thing has been painted with what looks to be red ochre with two black rectangles