Àkpólú, also spelt Àkpólo, are strings of coral beads worn around the lower waist or hips by women and girls ( ; Ọbazee 2025, p. 23). Before colonial rule in the Benin Kingdom, children were traditionally not permitted to wear clothing until the Ọba gave them cloth to wear; the Àkpólú was an exception to this practice, allowing children to wear these coral bead strands around the waist ( ).
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