NEWLY ACQUIRED BEADWORK
Recently the M useum w a s fo rtu n a te to be able to
buy some beadw ork collected betw een 1953 and
1968 am ong the Them bu of the Engcobo d is tric t
fro m Joan Broster, w h o is a recognized a u th o rity
and a u th o r of fo u r books on T ranskeian trib a l
beadw ork and dress. These item s are a valuable
a d d itio n to o ur beadw ork co lle ction since, due to
increasing m odernization, tra d itio n a l cra fts are
being lost or ra d ica lly altered and a rtifa c ts such
as t r a d i t i o n a l b e a d w o r k a re b e c o m in g
in cre a sin g ly rare.
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A beaded c o lla r (itu m b u j a n d e arrings (am ajikzi) w h ic h are hu n g over the ears. These e arrings were w o rn by a young M p ondo woman.
Sets o f beaded chokers a n d bracelets are n o t tra d itio n a l a n d are made m a in ly fo r com m ercial purposes. They are, however, w o rn fo r decoration by m a n y young Xhosa people today.
Itu m b u (p lu ra l: A m a tu m b u ), one o f the six tra d itio n a l beaded co lla rs b o u g h t by the M useum . Wide c o lla rs are w orn by young m en an d n a rro w e r collars by th e ir wives. The dark turquoise beads in th is co lla r are the c o lo u r o f youth a n d are con tra ste d w ith navy, re d a n d white.
A m a d iliz a (s in g u la r: Idiliza). T ra d itio n a l c h o k e r-ty p e necklaces w orn by a ll age groups a n d both sexes. The zigzag design in blue and green on the top necklace, w h ic h was w orn by a grandparent, symbolizes the rive r o f life.
