This belt was made for me when I was a child growing up in Kenya in the 1950s. It was made by my ayah (nanny) Maria who was from the Kipsigis tribe. It is a colourful example of the decorative crafts of Kenya. It is made of leather with beads stitched onto it and metal studs.
My father went out to Kenya in the 1930s to work for the Colonial Service and we came back to England in 1963 when Kenya gained independence.
Whenever I wear it, it is a reminder to me of both Britain's and Kenya's past and the meeting and intertwining of cultures.
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