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Watercolor by Yvonne
Eales
Yvonne Eales - Xhosa Nursing Mother - 1977
This watercolour was purchased in the Eastern Cape from
second hand dealer. The vendor had purchased it at a house sale and was
unable to tell us anything at all about the artist. We have searched the
web, contacted former traders, checked books and called authors, but find no
trace of artist Yvonne Eales. The outside frame measures 35 centimetres x 45
centimetres. It was painted in 1977 - a time that saw much strife between
races - under the apartheid regime.
Yvonne Eales - 77
We determined the surname was English, derived from
the medieval given name Elis, a Greek form of the Hebrew Elijah
(Jehovah is God). The name was popular among Christians in during the
Crusades (Middle Ages), Knights returning from the Holy Land to free it of
Muslims (nothing changes), gave their children saintly names
associated with Greece and the Bible.
Xhosa Nursing Mother -
Yvonne Eales - 1977
The seated young woman is wearing a glass beaded collar called known as 'ithumu',
as well as a nursing charm called 'isixhoxho', made of wood. In her
right hand is a woman's long pipe called an 'ingawa'. Her head is
covered with an
embroidered turban called 'iqhiya' or 'ibhayi'. Her dress was
called a 'umbhaco' or 'imibhaco'. We regret we cannot tell you more about
the creator of this charming painting.
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