Thembu
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Eastern and Southern Africa
Wedding Ensemble for a Bride (Umtshakazi)
INV-1513
Thembu
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Eastern and Southern Africa1950s
Wedding Ensemble for a Bride (Umtshakazi)
Thembu Eastern Cape, South Africa Eastern and Southern Africa →thembuArts of Africaafrican Artsouth africancostumearts of Africa
Date
1950s
Medium
Cotton cloth, glass beads, mother of pearl beads, thread, and leather
Dimensions
H.: 114 cm (44 7/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by the Woman's Board of the Art Institute of Chicago; partial gift of Axis Gallery (Gary Van Wyk and Lisa Brittan)
For the Thembu and other Xhosa-speaking peoples, the beauty, translucence, and weight of layers of beaded ornaments have spiritual dimensions. Shiny, reflective materials are associated with enlightenment, purity, and access to the ancestral realm. Thembu beadworking flourished among young women in the 1940s and 1950s, but declined in the 1960s. Each of the items in this wedding ensemble was lovingly made. Many are notable for their creative reuse of materials: for example, the bracelet from which a handkerchief is suspended; the armlets made of twisted brass wire; and the beaded teaspoon necklaces, which were intended to make the marriage sweet.
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