The yet, a lavishly beaded belt, is one element of an elaborate royal ensemble worn by the king (nyim) of the Kuba Kingdom in Central Africa. As documented in a portrait photograph of Nyim Mbopey Mabiintsh ma-Kyeen from 1947, the regalia of that time comprised a tunic, leggings, armlets, skirt, slippers, gloves, headdress with chinstrap, and belt (yet), all embellished with cowrie shells and beads. The royal costume, designed by the nyim himself before his enthronement, represented magical protective powers and fertility. Members of the royal family, including the queen, the king’s children, first-rank notables, and the king’s presumed successor, were all permitted to wear variations on the beaded royal costume, including the yet.

Elements of this yet feature a beaded interlace pattern that is present throughout Kuba visual arts, from textiles and wood carvings to body scarification and beadwork. Located in the landlocked central Kasai region of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Kuba Kingdom historically relied on commercial trade routes from the coast to acquire natural shells like the bivalves and cowries that decorate this belt. By the sixteenth century, the Kuba traded local commodities for glass beads from India and then Europe that enhanced their designs. Such luxurious embellishments on the costumes of members of the Kuba royal family, regents, and other notables served as a conspicuous display of status and royal privilege.