E0138: Zulu, Umutsha

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E0138

Classification Category:

3:Personal Artifacts ➞ Clothing ➞ Outerwear

Materials:

fabric ➔ cloth

Dimensions:

135 cm L
24.5 cm W

Provenance of Object:

This object was held in the museum that Luther College started in 1877. This museum eventually grew into the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, and following this, non-Norwegian American ethnographic objects were returned to Luther and accessioned into the college’s Anthropology Collection. Without additional documentation, was likely obtained by the Luther College Museum (later the Norwegian-American Museum) between the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Production Date:

Late 19th century to early 20th century

Use/Function:

These belts were worn by courting age women.

Source Locality:

Natal, South Africa

Description:

Beaded belt with an apron of beads hanging at one end called Umutsha/ pl. imitsha. The skirts were made in the 19th century to the 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. Gongqoloza Method - 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. The Zulu beadwork was worn by courting-age women; the colors of the beads have a meaning and the beads tell a story about a person.

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