Speaking With Beads: Zulu Arts from Southern Africa

By Jean Morris

The beadwork designs of the Zulu-speaking peoples of Southern Africa have evolved from a tradition of craft skills developed over the generations. But the products of this tradition are now... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0500277575
• ISBN13: 9780500277577
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Language You Wear!

Imagine that your clothing and jewelry said almost everything a stranger would need to know about you: not only your marital status, but whether you had children, where you were from, what your religion might be and how traditional your world view was. And that your beads changed as your life did, from infancy to old age, and with the places you have lived. That's the journey that Jean Morris and Eleanor Preston-Whyte takes us along with them as they met hundreds of people in the Zulu tribes of Southern Africa. As the title says, a person is speaking with beads to tell a viewer everything they might want to know at first glance. The authors begin with a little historical data, talking about the bead trade between Africa and Europe, and how it developed, with the King demanding first pick of any beads that came into his country, and amazing formal functions, with thousands of dancing girls wearing nothing but beads. The affairs still existed at the time the book was written, having developed into a huge national conference for young women, with stirring speeches and an enormous dance, with each girl wearing her finest beadwork. The beadwork is different for each tribe and each area, and the girls like to personalize her own work, which means that there is incredible diversity and much beauty in all of the different costumes. Beadwork continues to serve an important function throughout these people's lives, more so for women than men, although men always wear beadwork on formal occasions, as well as some smaller bits for everyday wear. Women wear "aprons" of beadwork that show if she is single, married and a new bride, a new mother, the mother of many children, a grandmother, etc. Her beads might only have the five colors that are traditional to her tribe, but they can be arranged endlessly. Younger women, in the universal desire to be fashionable, are using things I never thought of as beads: pull tabs to soda cans, for instance. The pictures in the book are a feast for the beader's eye: I found myself mentally taking apart elaborate capes so I could stitch something like them myself (where I'd get the skin of a bull might pose a problem). I wondered what it would be like for my jewelry to tell my life's story to strangers and then I realized I do exactly that, although I didn't make the items myself: my wedding band, engagement ring and mother's ring tell an awful lot about me, and my clothing says a lot about my social status and where I'm from. Maybe we're all "speaking with beads" and don't even realize it!

Inspiring

Beautiful, clear color photographs of extraordinary beadwork. I cannot close the book. Makes me want to run to Africa and learn to bead from the Zulu people.