Adornment Explained

An adornment is generally an accessory or ornament worn to enhance the beauty or status of the wearer. They are often worn to embellish, enhance, or distinguish the wearer, and to define cultural, social, or religious status within a specific community. When worn to show economic status, the items are often either rare or prohibitively expensive to others. Adornments are usually colourful, and worn to attract attention.

They have a long history, around the world, from feathers or bone, to modern accessories, such as jewellery.^[1] Items of adornment are also used by warriors, and by other members of the military to show rank or achievement.^[2]

Items of adornment

These include cosmetics, jewellery, clothing accessories, facial hair, fingernail modification, piercing, lip plates, tattooing, braiding, and headgear.

Cultures, subcultures, and institutions

Groups who practice adornment include the yakuza, military, religious institutions, tribal groups, and the punk culture.^[3] Items of adornment can tell us about a person's rank, social status, gender role, area of origin, etc. An example would be the beaded jewelry worn by the Maasai tribe, which is very specific to them and some related tribes.

In Islamic culture, adornments have included caps such as the kufi and taqiyah for men,^{[4] [5] [6]} and the hijab for women.^[7]

See also

• Fashion accessory
• Body modification
• Native American jewelry

Further reading

• Kniel, N; Wright, T:Ribbon: The Art of Adornment, press,
• Boucher, François:20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment, H.N. Abrams, 1987.
• White, Carolyn L.:American Artifacts of Personal Adornment, 1680-1820:A Guide to Identification and Interpretation, Altamira Press, 2005,,
• Bouchot, Henri:The Printed Book, Its History, Illustration, and Adornment, from the Days of Gutenberg to the Present Time, General Books, 2010,,
• Gurel, Lois M., Beeson, Marianne S.:Dimensions of dress and adornment: a book of readings, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1979.
• Book: LaGamma, Alisa . Metropolitan jewelry . New York . The Metropolitan Museum of Art . 1991 . 0870996169.

External links

• Examples of African adornment

Notes and References

1. Web site: Types and Forms of Ancient Jewelry from Central Asia - Neva - Transoxiana 10 . Transoxiana.org . 2010-07-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20100721172044/http://www.transoxiana.org/0110/neva-jewelry.html. 21 July 2010 . live.
2. Web site: Adornments of the Samburu in Northern Kenya: A Comprehensive List 21COE . Areainfo.asafas.kyoto-u.ac.jp . 2010-07-30.
3. Book: 978-0313336959 . Greenwood Publishing Group. Demello . Margo . 2007 .
4. Book: Embodying Black Religions in Africa and Its Diasporas . 978-1-4780-1311-2 . Covington-Ward . Yolanda . Jouili . Jeanette S. . 9 August 2021 . Duke University Press .
5. Web site: Senior caps. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100326195403/http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/fashionbeauty/2005/jan/14/fashion-beauty-14-01-2005-004.htm. 2010-03-26.
6. https://www.cureus.com/articles/186796-dermatological-implications-of-the-taqiyah-and-imamah-recommendations-for-delivering-culturally-conscious-care#!/
7. Book: Representing Islam: Hip-Hop of the September 11 Generation . 978-0-253-05305-3 . Nasir . Kamaludeen Mohamed . December 2020 . Indiana University Press .