Zulu Beadwork Article

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AFRICANJEWELRYOFTHEZULU
BY
ANDREWGIOULIS
ARTINDIVERSECULTURES
DR.JOSERODEIRO
MAY9,2007
The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon words bidden, which means to pray, and
bede, meaning prayer.1 Beads have long been used throughout history for pray, monetary value
and even as love letters. Tourists to South Africa may be familiar with Zulu love letters.
Members of the Zulu tribe of the province KwaZulu/Natal in South Africa, used beads as
a form of communication between the genders. Dr Hilgard Stanley Schoeman, a well-known
expert on beadwork from the South African Nguni people, states: "Traditional Zulu beadwork,
arguably one of the most singular examples of this craft, was at one time far more than a merely
decorative art of weaving small glass beads into aesthetically pleasing patterns. First-hand
empirical research has shown that these designs were a surprisingly articulate vehicle of
communication that helped to regulate behavior between individuals of opposite gender."2 (Plate
1)
Glass beads had their start when glass was developed in Egypt and among the Chaldeans
and Sumerians over thirty centuries ago. The Egyptians were most likely the first people to trade
glass beads for ivory, slaves and gold in Africa. The Egyptians who knew the value of true
precious stones may have believed that the Africans would consider the glass ornaments to be
of great value.3
The Phoenicians a seafaring nation transported the Egyptian glass beads and other
products to Africa. Arab nations traded glass beads, salt, copper and bronze for slaves and gold
from Africa.4 The beads came from both Egypt and India. Red carnelian beads from India are
still washing ashore today in Transkeian from Arabian ships that sank during storms.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Portuguese became the main traders, followed
by the Dutch. The marketplace expanded when the South Nguni tribe of Transkei started trading
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for glass beads with the British in 1820 when settlers first came to Delagoa Bay (known today as
Port Elizabeth). The North Nguni tribe began trading with the English when trader Henry
Francis Fynn came to Port Natal (known today as Durban) in 1824.5
The Africans knew the minimal value of the glass beads, yet treasured them in the
beginning because they did not have the technology to make them. The beads became
representative of social status and political importance. In the West African nations of Ghana,
Songhai, Mali and Nigeria, kings wore so much jewelry that attendants had to accompany them
during the course of the day to support the weight of their adornments.6 The weight is a symbol
of status and authority.7 (Plate 2)
The Xhosa tribe of Transkei use beads to distinguish different peer groups, such as
younger girls versus older sisters and those who are about to be married. The bride and groom
will also wear the same beadwork as guests attending their wedding.8
The Zulu use specific geometric shaped beads and colors to convey messages, hence the
origin of the zulu love letters. Beadwork is created exclusively by the females and presented
to the males. The meaning behind the beadwork is taught to the younger girls by their older
siblings. Men learn the code behind the beadwork from their female relatives. From reading
the beadwork, a male knows which females he can approach. The patterns reveal not only the
single or married status of the women, but also if they have children, unmarried sisters, and
where they come from.
Colors can have either positive or negative connotations, depending on how they are
arranged, with the exception of white, which does not have a negative meaning. (Plate 3)
The ucu is a five meterlong necklace made of white beads, wound around the neck as an
engagement token. It may also include a small tassel of blue-and-white beads, indicating fidelity
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when placed together. (Plate 4) In an instance where a soon-to-be-married woman was jilted, the
ucus white beads were replaced by the girls friends with black and pale yellow beads
representing a familiar four letter American word and presented to the young man who changed
his mind, who had to wear the necklace for a brief period of time, lest he be considered more of a
coward.
Beads are typically in triangles, representing the father, mother and child. (Plate 5) A
triangle with the apex pointing downward represents an unmarried man or woman. Two
triangles joined along the base to form a diamond graphically represents a stylized egg
universally recognized as a fertility symbol and means a married woman. Two triangles with
their apexes meeting to form an hourglass shape indicate a married man. Marriage is highly
sought after as the Zulus are not considered adults, according to tradition, until they are married.
The ibheqe is a band worn around the neck with a flap that rests on the hollow of the throat. The
beads on the flap, as well as the band, often contain courtship messages. (Plate 6)
Size of the beads or concentration of color may indicate deeper significance of the beads
meaning. An example of this is the umbhama, a beaded band worn on the headdress of a married
woman, known as an isicholo. (Plate 7) In the center is a large set of beads called amaganda,
meaning eggs. This means that the woman wearing it has children. A woman looking for fun
will let others know this by not wearing her umbhama.9
The danger of Zulu beadwork is that it has become so intertwined with all aspects of their
culture religious, economic, communicational, political, social, educational, technological,
recreational and legal that it is not easy to change. An interruption or alteration of this
structure can cause a socio-economic collapse.10
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Beads may also be altered, although this is more common among tribes, such as the
Hausa in West Africa. The Hausa dominate the bead trader market and altering beads shows that
they have been changed since leaving the original maker. Two common ways of altering beads
are grinding and heating. Beads are altered with heat by mixing them with organic matter and
warming them over a charcoal fire for an hour. This process can cause the beads to become
cloudy, change shape and develop grooves where air bubbles break open.11 (Plates 8 and 9)
Beads can also be made of powdered glass - a technique developed over 1,000 years ago
by crushing the glass into fine particles and heating them until they fuse together. These beads
are sometimes called pot beads, sand cast beads or priests beads even though they have
nothing to do with any of these terms. The crushed glass is poured into a clay mold that contains
the stem of a cassava plant on the bottom and then heated in a makeshift oven for about an hour.
The stem burns off, leaving a perforation, and the beads are then cooled, cleaned and polished
and occasionally joined together.12 (Plate 10)
Some beads are made from shells, such as the ostrich egg shell, made by the Kung San
tribe of South Africa. Hippo teeth beads are another misnomer; they actually come from the
giant Arca clam. The shell of the giant African land snail is another source for beads. (Plate 11)
Conus shells were used for currency and social status. In the 1870s, the British destroyed as
many of the conus shell jewelry as they could find, as they believed it was linked to paganism.
Mauritanian tribeswomen will sometimes wear the shells in their hair.13 (Plate 12)
Metal, such as gold, silver, bauxite an aluminum ore and brass are also common.
(Plate 13) Layers of clay are packed to form a mold, into which molten metal is poured. In the
case of gold, straw is sometimes placed in the mold to create a filigree pattern. (Plate 14)
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Another reason for jewelry in Africa is protection. The Hottentots, Fala, Ndebele and
Bassoum tribes of South Africa wrap beads, vines, leather and other material around their legs
for protection against thorns and brambles, as well as for decoration.14
Throughout the African cultures, beads have become more than just an art form they are
also a means of communication, decoration, courtship and gender guidelines and even symbols
of their religious beliefs. These ancient earthen works of art are steeped in tradition and a rich
history that will continue for generations to come.
Plate 1. An example of beadwork worn by a woman in the Zulu tribe.

Stan Schoeman, Eloquent Elegance: Beadwork in the Zulu cultural tradition, Zulu Beadwork
Homepage, 1996, http://www.marques.co.za/clients/zulu (accessed April 26, 2007).
Plate 2. A ceremonial bracelet worn by an African chief, made out of cast bronze and extremely
heavy.
Dona Z. Meilach, Ethnic Jewelry: Design and Inspiration for Collectors and Craftsman (New
York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1981), 26.
Positive
Colour Negative
Marriage, Regeneration
Black
Sorrow, Despair,
Death
Fidelity, Request
Blue
Ill Feeling,Hostility
Wealth, A
Thirst, Badness,
Yellow
Garden,Industry,Fertility
withering away
Contentment, Domestic
bliss
Green Illness, Discord
High birth or Rank, An

Oath, Promise
Pink
Poverty, Laziness
Physical Love, Strong

Emotion
Red
Anger,
Heartache,Impatience
Spiritual love, purity,

virginity
White ------------------
Plate 3. Some examples of what the colored beads represent.

Plate 4. The ucu is a five meterlong necklace made of white beads, wound around the neck as an
engagement token. It may also include a small tassel of blue-and-white beads.
Plate 5. Beadwork arranged in a triangle, representing the father, mother and child.
Plate 6. An ibheqe is a band worn around the neck with a flap that rests on the hollow of the
throat. The beads on the flap, as well as the band, often contain courtship messages. The
following translation provided courtesy of Eloquent Elegance: Beadwork in the Zulu
cultural tradition. Stan Schoeman. 1996. 26 April 2007.
<http://www.marques.co.za/clients/zulu> :
Black next to the white of the band, signifying marriage
Red next to the black signifying an aching heart
Yellow Following the negative black red combination, selects withering away, pining
for
Blue The pivoting color, followed in opposite sequence by colors preceding it, yellow,
red, black, demands response.
The girl is saying: We are married, but my heart is aching because our love seems to be
withering away. When will you return? Typically, a rural girl will send this to a young man
working in the city if she has not heard from him for some time.
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Plate 7. The umbhama, a beaded band worn on the headdress of a married woman, known as an
isicholo. In the center is a large set of beads called amaganda, meaning eggs. This means
that the woman wearing it has children.
Plate 8. Examples of altering beads by grinding.

Peter. Francis Jr., Beads of the World (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1994), 104.
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Plate 9. Examples of altering beads by heating. Note the groves made by air bubbles breaking
open.
Plate 10. Examples of beads made from powdered glass. The beads shown here are made of
Krobo beads note that two halves have been put together.
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Plate 11. Shell beads the pitted dot one is from an ostrich egg shell, the large one from the giant
African land snail and the bones are from fish vertebrae.
Plate 12. Examples of shell beads.

Dona Z. Meilach, Ethnic Jewelry: Design and Inspiration for Collectors and Craftsman (New
York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1981), 14.
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Plate 13. Jewelry made of brass from wax casting molds. The strand of beads, mask pendant and
mudskipper were made by the Baolule tribe. The phallus and worn bead were created by the
Kirdi of Cameroon. The gold nugget is from Senegal.
Plate 14. Bead made of cast gold. Note the filigree pattern made from placing straw in the mold
before pouring.
Peter. Francis Jr., Beads of the World (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1994), 108
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NOTES
1. Lois Sherr Dubin, The History of Beads (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987),
31.
2. Stan Schoeman, Eloquent Elegance: Beadwork in the Zulu cultural tradition, Zulu
Beadwork Homepage, 1996, http://www.marques.co.za/clients/zulu (accessed April 26, 2007).
3. Ibid.
4. Peter Francis, Jr., Beads of the World (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1994),
103.
6. Ibid.
7. Dona Z Meilach, Ethnic Jewelry: Design and Inspiration for Collectors and
Craftsman. (New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1981), 26.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Peter Francis, Jr., Beads of the World (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1994),
104-105.
12. Ibid., 104-105.
13. Ibid., 109.
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14. Louise E. Jefferson, The Decorative Arts of Africa. (New York: The Viking Press,
Inc., 1973), 145.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Black, J. Anderson. The Story of Jewelry. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.,
1974.
Burgess, Fred W. Antique Jewelry and Trinkets. New York: Tudor Publishing Company, 1937.
Dubin, Lois Sherr. The History of Beads. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987.
Francis, Jr., Peter. Beads of the World. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1994.
Gann, Lewis H. Central Africa: The Former British States. NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1971.
Jefferson, Louise E. The Decorative Arts of Africa. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1973.
Meilach, Dona Z. Ethnic Jewelry: Design and Inspiration for Collectors and Craftsman. New
York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1981.
Phillips, Mark Salber and Schochet, Gordon. Questions of Tradition. Toronto: University of
Toronto Press, 1946.
Ross, Robert. A Concise History of South Africa. UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
The Diagram Group, Peoples of Africa: Peoples of Central Africa. New York: Facts on
File, Inc., 1997.
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ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Bead Society of Southern Africa . Museums Online South Africa. 26 April 2007.
<http://www.museums.org.za/beads>
Eloquent Elegance: Beadwork in the Zulu cultural tradition. Stan Schoeman. 1996. 26 April
2007. <http://www.marques.co.za/clients/zulu>
The Soutpansberg, Phiphidi Falls and Guvhukuvhu. March 2007. 26 April 2007.<http://aboutsouth-africa.com/html/soutpansberg.html>
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1. Dubin, Lois Sherr. The History of Beads. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987.
2. Eloquent Elegance: Beadwork in the Zulu cultural tradition. Stan Schoeman. 1996. 26
April 2007. <http://www.marques.co.za/clients/zulu>
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4. Francis, Jr., Peter. Beads of the World. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1994.
5. Eloquent Elegance: Beadwork in the Zulu cultural tradition. Stan Schoeman. 1996. 26 April
5
6
7. Meilach, Dona Z. Ethnic Jewelry: Design and Inspiration for Collectors and Craftsman.
New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1981.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
14. Jefferson, Louise E. The Decorative Arts of Africa. New York: The Viking Press, Inc.,
1973.

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Plate 1. An example of beadwork worn by a woman in the Zulu tribe.

Green Illness, Discord

High birth or Rank, An

Physical Love, Strong

Spiritual love, purity,

Plate 3. Some examples of what the colored beads represent.

Plate 8. Examples of altering beads by grinding.

Plate 12. Examples of shell beads.

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