History of beading in South Africa
The history of beading in South Africa has been embedded in African culture for centuries, carrying significant meaning in cultural, spiritual and social practices. This tradition has been passed on from generation to generation, holding a significant impact on African people's lives.
The Khoisan roots and cultural significance
The San and Khoikhoi nation are the indigenous people of South Africa. In the early centuries, tribes created early forms of beadwork using natural materials such as bones, stones, seeds and nuts, animal teeth and claws, carved wood, clay beads, ostrich eggshells, shells and natural pigments for colouring.
The ornaments and beadwork these ethnic group created held significant value and meaning for social practices. Marriage beadwork carried special significance, with designs showing achievements and life stages, while patterns showed clan affiliations.
Beadwork in the spiritual sense were believed to offer protection and were vital in healing ceremonies. Special beaded designs were used for rain-making ceremonies, and the beads were also used for in-coming-of-age rituals.
The creation of beads was of significant value and had a served as a form of currency between nations and tribes in the Southern Africa. Items such as ostrich eggshells were particularly valuable.
The arrival of European settlers in the Southern Africa in the 19th century significantly impacted and revolutionised the beadwork creation process. Glass beads were introduced through trade and were incorporated in the traditional designs, while new materials were adapted while maintaining traditional techniques.
Zulu beadwork
The Zulu nation is the largest ethnic group in South Africa and is largely concentrated in the KwaZulu-Natal province. In 1824 Henry Francis Fyn, an English trader, settled in Port Natal, (now known as Durban) and introduced glass beads to the Zulu tribe.
Zulu beadwork has a significant meaning, the craft is a form of language and communication between genders. Love Letters (Ucu), which are neck pieces worn by young women communicate specific messages through their patterns such acceptance of courtship, rejection of advance, commitment to another and desire to be approached.
Beadwork serves as a marker of identity, conveyed through geometric shapes, colours, patterns and designs including coming-of-age ceremony for young girls entering womanhood, designs for young men preparing for warrior status and graduation between age groups. Wedding Beadwork (Umhlwayo) includes interlocking shapes representing union, repeated patterns showing family connections and protective symbols for the new couple.
Colour meaning in Zulu beading tradition
The different colours have a distinct and special meaning in Zulu beading traditions.
- Black: Marriage, representing the depth of relationship, regeneration sorrow, despair and death.
- Blue: Fidelity and long-lasting love, a request ill feeling and hostility.
- Yellow: Wealth and fertility, a garden, thirst, badness and withering away.
- Green: Contentment and happiness, domestic bliss, illness and discord.
- Pink: An oath, a promise, poverty, laziness and high expectation
- Red: Physical love, heartache, impatience, strong emotions, such as pain and anger
- White: Spiritual purity, true love and virginity.
Geometric shapes
The geometric patterns and symbols in Zulu beadwork carry specific meanings and messages, creating a sophisticated visual language:
Triangles:
- Pointing upward: Represent masculinity and power
- Pointing downward: Represent femininity and fertility
- Series of triangles: Show life's journey or family lineage
- Represent the home and family unit
- When nested, show multiple generations
- Different colours within diamonds can indicate family status
Rectangles:
- Symbolize stability and protection
- Often used in protective amulets
- Represent boundaries and thresholds
This rich symbolic language continues to be an important part of Zulu culture, adapting to modern times while maintaining its deep cultural significance and traditional meanings. The preservation of these patterns and their meanings helps maintain cultural identity and ensures the continuation of this important artistic tradition for future generations
Xhosa beadwork
The amaXhosa are an ethnic group with a rich cultural heritage, located in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The abaThembu, who are part of this ethnic group, are concentrated between the Mbhashe and Mthatha Rivers. The tribe traditionally lived a culturally rich life that included wearing traditional attire adorned with beadwork.
The traditional attire and beadwork of the amaXhosa and abaThembu people convey messages about cultural expression and social communication. The beadwork tells stories through geometric shapes, patterns and colours that shows social status and marks different life stages and beading that indicates clan affiliations and regional origins.
The abaThembu people have preserved the beading tradition for generations by passing down beading skills and wearing beadwork with traditional attire during ceremonies or events.
Today, Xhosa beadwork continues to strive in communities as designers draw inspiration from historical patterns, young entrepreneurs generate income from the beading craft and the younger generation learn beading skills through traditional teaching workshops.
Ndebele beadwork
The Ndebele, a Nguni ethnic group in South Africa, is known for its colourful beaded ornaments and geometric patterns. Beads are worn to show the different life stages, class, relationships, wealth, marital status and health.
Significant beadwork
Men:
To mark a significant phase in a young boy's life, after undergoing initiation, a father gives his sons a neckpiece called iporiyana which symbolises virility.
Women:
Beadwork for woman represents prosperity and fertility, this is seen through the colours, designs, materials and patterns. Isigolwani are thick beaded hoops of twisted grass and are worn by married women around the waist, arms, legs and neck. Dzilla is a copper and brass rings worn around the legs, arms and neck. During marriage initiation, brides wear long trains made from white beads called nyoga, which communicates a message that the bride is a virgin or if she will be the first wife. To show respect to their husbands the woman would wear beaded headdresses called amacubi.
Girls:
Young girls wear beaded aprons made from leather called lighabi, which hang from the waist. Older girls would wear beaded aprons called isiphephethu, it is covered white and colourful geometric beaded designs and patterns, it is worn around the waist and is given by their mothers. A married women's apron is called an ijogolo.
Contemporary significance
In South Africa today, beading continues to strive as elders and young people preserve the tradition by business creation leading to economic development and by skills transmission to the newer generations. This persistence demonstrates strong roots of cultural and traditional heritage and resilience of indigenous practices. Beading is a living tradition that continues evolves while maintaining its deep cultural significance.