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OAFSA/Z001
Zulu
Kwa Zulu, South Africa
Woman’s ceremonial dance skirt
Glass beads, cotton, raffia
36 in. x 5 in.
Very good.
Sold
Rarely seen today, this late 19th century, ceremonial belt, is comprised of thousands of opaque glass beads in black, blue, olive green, red and white. The long fringes of beads are arranged in alternating “stripes” of blue and black and feature tufted ends of red “Cornaline d’Aleppo” beads. The double waistbands are wrapped in tightly stitched rows of white, red, and blue seed beads. The rectangular beaded panel with its distinctive patterns of red and blue chevrons on a black background identify it as “North Nguni” style.
For a similar example see South East African Beadwork 1850-1910 , From Adornment to Artefact to Art, Stevenson and Graham-Stewart editors, Fernwood Press, 2000 , pp.164, plate 218.