Assembled with a refined eye for composition, this necklace belongs to a South African tradition of adornment created with animal teeth. For the tribes of this region, the teeth and claws of large predators, particularly felines, carried talismanic associations of power and prestige. The stark visual strength of the bundled black beadwork in this necklace contrasts beautifully with the three light trios of symmetrically positioned teeth, each emphasizing the other.