Their quilted armour was known as Yan Lifida

Hausa armed horsemen in quilted armour during 10th anniversary of independence celebration, Niamey, Niger, [colour slide by Eliot Elisofon, 1971].

more | Source (Smithsonian Archives)

"Heavy garments of quilted cotton cloth stuffed with capok were widely used as armour for horse and man in central and eastern Sudanic Africa. In the Sokoto caliphate of northern Nigeria, heavily armed horsemen in quilted armour were known as Yan Lifida. They often acted as the bodyguards of an Emir on the field. The various components which formed the armour are: the bantan lifidi covered the loins and abdomen; the safa the upper torso; the kumakumi was worn as a corselet; Such quilted armour was used either alone or in combination with chain mail (sulke). The war-horses themselves were sometimes outfitted with breastplates (dan gaba) as well. The helmet (kwalkwali) was a padded headpiece made of bound rags, sometimes covered by a tin or brass receptacle or chain mail, and decorated with the feathers of an ostrich or other brightly colored bird."

[Ch. Spring, 1993: African Arms and Armour. British Museum press]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Westinghouse Film and traveled to Africa from October 26, 1970 to end of March 1971.

Gold (pronounced /ˈɡoʊld/) is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from Latin: aurum, "shining dawn", hence adjective, aureate)

A selection of slides by Photographer Eliot Elisofon. This series of photographs were taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970. (Photos taken from the Smithsonian Archive. For more information on each photo: I, II, III, IV.


Paramount Chief Nana Akyanfuo Akowuah Dateh II and regional chiefs, Kumasi, Ghana, 1970. This photograph depicts Asante Paramount Chief Nana Akyanfuo Akowuah Dateh II, regional chief Kwaku Addai (R) and the heir to Asafo stool (L). He was both Akwamuhene (chief of Akwamu, one of the early Akan kingdoms) and Asafohene (captain of an Asafo company, or a ceremonial head of a group of kinsmen).









Kyaman chiefs and notables, Anna village, Ivory Coast, 1972
The photograph depicts Ebrie (now Kyaman) dignitaries wearing prestige clothes and regalias. From left to right, seated: Alphonse Akre, sub-chief, Anna village. Blaise Ake Djoble, Anna village notable and party member. Jean-Baptiste Mobio, Adiopodoume village notable and party member. Standing: Maxime Ake Akossi, Anna village notable. Michel Afram, party representative, Anna. Marc Akouman, party delegate, Akouedo village. Barthelemy Akre, Chief of the Catholics, Anna. Katherine Ake Agouabe, daughter of notable, Anna. Francoise Dao Alouette, niece of Michel Afram. Alphonse Adja, Akouedo notable. Nicolas Tchapa Gouedan, Abatta village chief. "During the colonial period the French sought to consolidate their authority over the peoples of the south-eastern region by creating district and cantonal chiefs. Though untraditional, these offices have survived, and their occupants have increasingly sought to gain status by adopting Akan-style regalia (as have the few traditional paramount chiefs in the region)." [Timothy F. Garrard, 1989: Gold of Africa, Prestel]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.


Ornaments of a royal attendant at the Asantehene's court, Kumasi, Ghana. 1971

Blingy Butterfly Gets The Royal Treatment

Now that the jewelry-barren landscape that was New York Fashion Week is behind me, it's time to get back to blingy basics. And there's no better way to celebrate than by ogling this bodacious butterfly bauble that just joined the storied coffers of the Smithsonian Institution.

Designed by Cindy Chao, the "Royal Butterfly" is a three-dimensional diamond-and gemstone-studded brooch that took over two years to create. The design is balanced by four large rough diamond slices and includes more than 20 color gradients comprised of 2,318 colorless and colored diamonds, color-changing sapphires, colored sapphires, rubies and tsavorites.

Color-changing sapphires? Awesome.


Chao generously gifted her "Royal Butterfly" to the Smithsonian, which now lives with some of the world's most significant jewels, including the famous Hope Diamond.

The designer's 'hope' was not only for viewers to appreciate the art in a new medium, but that it would also inspire "people to dream and create" and "continue to contribute to the evolution of culture and the world around them."

Ms. Chao? You had me at 'color-changing sapphires'.

And if you're hunkering for more Smithsonian sparkle, they just launched a branded jewelry line with QVC based on many of the pieces in their treasure chest. Check out Jewelry.com for more.