A history of Zulu beadwork, 1890--1997: Its types, forms and functions (South Africa)

Beadworking is an important art form both historically and contemporarily for the Zulu people of South Africa. While being an expression of Zulu aesthetic concepts, beadwork also has important roles in the economy; regulation of society; healing and divination practices and display of wealth, religious and political affiliations, and political power. Additionally, regional and sequential variations in the names and types of items produced, the color combinations and design motifs used on beadwork items, and the symbolism associated with various motifs and colors serve to identify an individual's age, social status, and region of origin. As such, the historical study of Zulu beadwork between 1890--1997 provides insights into the historical events, movements of people, social practices and their changes, religious beliefs, structure and changes of the economy, political climate, and artistic trends within Zulu society of this period, as they were experienced at both the individual and group level. Assuming such a broad range of roles, beadwork becomes then a symbolic embodiment of the common circumstances and interests that define Zulu ethnicity during the period under consideration.; As such, this study examines the art historical development of Zulu beadwork from 1890--1900 in twenty year intervals to determine: (1) the various major regional styles and their developments and (2) the functions of beadwork within Zulu society and how these functions are adapted to historical and social changes. It will show that while there are certain common elements to beadwork forms and functions that serve as the basis for the expression of a unified ethnic identity, artists are continually experimenting with colors, materials, shapes, and beadworking methods to create unique objects that reflect their unique position within Zulu society. It reveals some of the social, political, religious, and economic changes that have come to have an impact on these stylistic developments; and conversely, how these changes are expressed in beadwork. In short, this study will show the history of beadwork to be a materialization of the contemporary and historical experiences that define the ethnicity of the Zulu people as a united yet diverse people. On a broader level, this investigation will also increase the appreciation of the deep significance of the role of body arts within the context of African art as a whole.*; *Originally published in DAI Vol. 61, No. 5. Reprinted here with corrected author name.