Not only are Zulu beaded adornments beautiful, they play an
important role in many traditional rituals, customs and ceremonies. The beadwork is a
form of courtship communication between men and women. The beaded adornments
reveal age, marital status, sexual intentions, region or clan the wearer is from, societal
position, etc. The colors and geometric shapes are encoded with symbolism. A triangle
shape facing downwards signifies an unmarried woman, while a diamond shape
represents a married woman. A triangle facing upwards signifies an unmarried man and
a married man is represented by an hourglass. The colors used can have positive or
negative meanings.
These would have been pinned onto a garment.
Height: 20 ¼" x Width: 16" x Depth: 2 ¼"