E0125: Zulu, Umutsha

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E0125

Classification Category:

3:Personal Artifacts ➞ Clothing ➞ Accessory

Materials:

fabric ➔ cloth
metal

Dimensions:

53.5 cm L
1.5 cm W

Production Date:

Late 19th century to early 20th century

Use/Function:

The belt was worn by courting-age girls.

Source Locality:

Natal, South Africa

Acquisition Date:

October 28 1930

Description:

Umutsha/ pl. imitsha. Late 19th-early 20th century. Umutsha style skirts are waistbands composed of one or more tubes of grass or cloth covered in beads using the gongqoloza method. The Gongqoloza method is a technique that involves winding beads around a cloth or grass roll and then the rolls can be sewn together to create waistbands and armbands. Zulu beadwork was worn by both men and women; the colors of the beads have a meaning and the beads tell a story about a person.

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