Central and Southern African Tribal Art
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African Beadwork - Beaded Adornment
Contact us for information on these objects, larger resolution pictures and/or prices.
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Mfengu - Thembu and Xhosa Beaded Collars
"Ithumu"
Nelson Mandela wearing a beaded collar. The photograph was released by the ANC during the 1960's. Images of Mandela were banded by the apartheid government. This and others were only made public in 1990.
Click Thumbnails for Larger Images
Beaded collars were worn by both men and women throughout the tribal groups living in the Eastern Cape.
Circa 1950's
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Xhosa Nursing Charm
Nursing charms called "isixhoxho", adorned women as charms, which broadcasted that the wearers were nursing mothers. Our example dates to the 1940's.
These images were taken at Uncle Van Vasco da Gama van Blommenstein shop in at Mbiza Transkei between 1904 and 1905. The lady seen in the center of the image above right, sports a nursing charm.
Another exceptional example.
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Xhosa Beaded Blanket Pin or Cloak Pin
"Ithumbu"
This beaded pin, sometimes referred to as a "love letter", is so large that it might be considered a beaded panel. It it of the style popular around Cofimvaba and likely dates to the 1940's.
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Thembu Beaded Front Aprons
Thembu beaded aprons called "inkciyo" and considered underpants.
Click a thumb to view an apron.
From the 1940's, these aprons were worn under a ladies skirt.
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Thembu Leather Purses
Leather purses were used to contain money.
The openings were so small that sometime a knife or razor edge had to be used to extract the note.
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Ndebele Aprons - Mapoto - Pepetu
Ndebele fashion of the 1940's.
Predominately white aprons date from the 1920's.
A popoto was worn by an unmarried young girl.
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Ntwane Back Skirt
This is a fine example of an Ntwane woman's back skirt.
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Other Beaded Aprons
Kirdi Apron - Cameroon
The Kirdi are one of a number of small farming communities living in the Northern Cameroon and southern Chad area. They are known for their arts of personal adornment, including beaded aprons.
North Sotho Apron / South Africa
See page 95 of Tracing the Rainbow for a related example.
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Lobedu "Lovedu" Charm Necklaces
LOBEDU These were presents given to uninitiated girls by their admirers.
Rarely Seen
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Shangaan Wedding Basket
Click Thumbnails for Larger Images AFTER Page FULLY Loads
The Shangaan exchanged beaded wedding basket parts, between wedding families. One family made the upper portion, the other the base, as gifts for the bride and groom. The base is called Xithabana and the lid Xitewana.
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Ba Tonka Skirts - Zambia / Zimbabwe
Ba Tonga Man - 1950 - Barbara Tyrrell
The BaTonka or Batonga, live on both sides of the Zambezi River and Lake Kariba. In 1960, the Kariba dam was completed, making it at the time, the largest man made dam ever built. The Ba Tonka were relocated away from the flooding valleys where they had lived and fished for centuries.
We have 3 examples of these traditional skirts, no longer obtainable in the field.
Related traditional garments worn by young girls.
Photographs of Ba Tonka taken by Peter Jurgens and Barbara Tyrrell in 1949
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Sukuma Beaded Skirt – Tanzania\
Circa 1950
Worn by young girls.
A fine and rare example with scattered bead decoration.
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Visit... "Power Carriages of the Mandlakazi Clan"
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Compliments of...
Galerie Ezakwantu
World leaders in aesthetically pleasing, authentic tribal art from Southern Africa.
Contact Galerie Ezakwantu for larger resolution images, availability and prices of items.
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