Amongst the rarest and most desirable items of beadwork from southern Africa, the swallowtail-shaped Inkciyo was designed to adorn a woman's pubic area, with some descriptions suggesting that it was worn under an apron or skirt. The two lower 'prongs' of the Inkciyo are believed to symbolise the vulva, while the use of white beads, vividly contrasted by an alternating use of black, is intended to suggest purity. Of the few swallowtail Inkciyo held in museums and private collections, this is the only known example with loops of copper rings, shells, and beads strung on hide at the tips of the prongs. An example in the British Museum (Museum number Af1954,+23.170) has similar small copper rings, albeit on the apron string.