Maasai beadwork began as personal adornment, coded with meaning: age, marital status, social position. It became an industry when tourists wanted souvenirs. Women's groups now produce beadwork for sale, creating income streams independent of cattle and men. The work is skilled, time-intensive, and often underpaid. The best pieces are works of art. The market is saturated with cheap imitations. Beadwork is both cultural expression and economic survival, a tradition adapting to capitalism while trying to retain its meaning.