Individual beaded panels can be formed into necklaces or attached to other items of clothing. Zulu beadwork conveys messages through its geometric designs, color--each color has positive and negative meanings--and the juxtaposition of the colors, whether the beads are glass or plastic, opaque or transparent.
Description:
Pendant composed of a single square pane on a short loop strand with clusters of beads in rectangles on a background of white beads with blocks of red, blue and green beads.
Provenance:
Constance Stuart Larrabee, South Africa, 1937-1949 to 2000
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
