Zulu Inspired Beadwork

QLCL @ E J G @ I < ; 9<8;NFIB Weaving techniques and projects

D I A N E F I TZG E R A LD

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contents

Foreword Introduction Zulus and Their Beadwork

Zulu Beading Techniques Introduction Flowerette Chain Spearhead Chain Lace Leaf Chain Zigzag Chain Ladder Chain Tri-Leg Chain Square Tube Triangle Tube Slinky Chain Double Weave Wrapped Rope

Netted Triangles and Swags Switchback Chain Bow Tie Chain Trefoil Chain Hexagon Netting Netted Diamonds Popcorn Stitch Fingo Chain Zulu Love Letter Pins African Netting Stitches Square Netting Stitch African Circle Stitch Ngwane Fringes

Basics Tools and Supplies Techniques Bibliography Index

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Foreword Beads and beadwork are an integral part of many African cultures, not least the famous Zulu Nation of southern Africa. From earliest times, Zulus made beads from natural materials like seeds, ostrich eggshell, animal teeth, and even metal. On the basis of archaeological evidence, it is known that imported glass trade beads were used as body ornamentation in Africa as early as the eleventh century. These beads were made available until the sixteenth century through Arab traders. Later, from around 1680, Venetian and Dutch beads began to reach South African shores via European merchant traders. The largest of South Africa’s indigenous populations, the Zulu form part of the Northern Nguni group, which also includes the Swazi and Ndebele. According to tribal tradition, the Zulu people originated from a mystical land called Embo, probably located in the region of present-day Congo, and migrated south in the sixteenth century, establishing themselves by the seventeenth century in KwaZulu-Natal, a fertile province in what today is eastern South Africa. Eventually, glass seed beads were used in various color combinations to distinguish one tribal group from another. Beads also carried complex meaning akin to a symbolic language, and this formalized code of communication served to convey messages relating to love and courtship, grief, jealousy, poverty, and loss. White beads, for example, were widely seen as representing purity, truth, or spiritual love. Blue indicated fidelity, the sea, or the sky; a more negative interpretation was of hostility, dislike, or gossip. Red represented blood, fire, anger, passionate love, or sorrow. And green, while suggesting fields, grass, garden, homeland, or domestic contentment, might also symbolize discord and illness.

Opposite: Wrapped rope necklaces like these are often worn in multiples.

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Armband with fringe from the Ngwane region. The band is worked with square stitch and has a twobead square stitch embellishment that borders the black center panel. Opposite: Selling beadwork on the Durban waterfront.

Zulus and Their Beadwork Beadwork is deeply embedded in the culture of the Zulu people of South Africa. It is unique and distinctive in its colors and patterns, and particularly in its structure. Among traditional Zulus, men, women, and children wear beadwork in abundance for occasions such as family gatherings, coming-of-age ceremonies, and weddings, especially when there is dancing. The beadwork conveys gender, age, marital status, and accomplishments. Because it is highly valued and expensive, it is not worn every day. Zulu women produce all of the beadwork and prefer opaque beads in colors such as white, red, green, blue, yellow, pink, and black. Their patterns exhibit vibrant geometric designs, such as zigzag bands, diamonds, or triangles, which often contain symbolic meaning.

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Zulus are widely known for the color symbolism of “Zulu Love Letter” pendants— small beaded rectangles attached to safety pins and sold as tourist curios. But they should be credited for a far more unusual aspect of their beadwork: Zulu women have created a class of beadwork which may be characterized as “looped”—somewhat like brick stitch—in addition to being strung. In other words, when weaving beads, the thread is often passed around another thread between two beads in addition to Typical Zulu Love Letter Pin worked in brick stitch. passing through the beads. The tension on the beads holds the thread in place. This technique results in some of the most unusual and unique construction methods of any in the world. Several of these techniques are described in this book, in particular the Square Tube, the Triangle Tube, the Tri-Leg, the Ladder, and the Lace Leaf Chains. Detail of a beaded Ngwane cape made with bands of brick stitch worked in geometric patterns and applied to a fabric support. Impromptu dancing by Seliphi Blose, better known as Buselaphi, a sangoma, with singing accompaniment by Zulu beaders at the Abacus Studio of Jane Bedford in Durban.

Use of this looping technique may have resulted from the early use of sinew as a stringing material. Sinew is made from a cow’s tendons or ligaments, which are dried, separated, and rolled into a durable thread. Because sinew is thicker than ordinary cotton or synthetic thread, it would be difficult to pass it through beads more than once, and the looping technique may have been an adaptation to this constraint. Zulu beadworkers today use nylon and cotton thread and occasionally monofilament line.

Contemporary Beadwork A tourist arriving at one of the major airports in South Africa will notice an abundance of small pieces of beadwork in airport stores. These range from coasters to bracelets, necklaces, and small insect or animal pins. Most are inexpensive—they sell for just a few dollars each—and one can assume that the beadworker who made them received less than a quarter of their marked price. Within Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, outdoor markets and upscale galleries near tourist destinations offer a wider range of items than what is available at airports. These include older pieces and larger more intricate pieces such as bead embellished hats, new one-of-a kind sculptural figures, and fashionable beaded jewelry. Beadwork produced by Zulu women is also sold internationally by various entities. A typical organization is often operated

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KwaZulu-Natal, home of the Zulu people, is a province of South Africa. A fertile area known as the garden province, the area is about 35,560 square miles (92,100 square kilometers), about the size of the state of Maine. It extends from borders with Swaziland and Mozambique to the Eastern Cape in the south. Inland it is bounded by the Kingdom of Lesotho, and the Free State and Mpumalanga provinces. The population of KwaZulu-Natal is about 9.5 million of which 80 per cent is Zulu, 13 per cent is English and the remainder is other groups.

The South African flag, designed by Mr. Fred Brownell and adopted on April 27, 1994, melds symbols of many aspects of South African culture: red for bloodshed, blue for the open skies and the two oceans it lies between, green for the land, black for the black people, white for European people, and yellow for the natural resources, in particular, gold. The Y symbolizes unity and the coming together of many peoples. This flag necklace features three large flag panels and ten small ones made with fringes and herringbone stitch that are attached to a two-bead cord.

This postcard, dated 1904, shows four young Zulu women wearing a profusion of beadwork. It also reveals the lasting tradition of wrapped/rolled necklaces and bandoliers, the popularity of tabular necklaces, and the use of beaded aprons worn over a skirt. All four of the girls have similar designs worked into their belts and wrapped necklaces. It is noteworthy that all are wearing some type of blouse, which may have been donned for the photograph to appease Victorian sensibilities about revealing the upper body and would not have been part of their normal wear. Carole Morris Collection.

by South African professionals who serve as “go-betweens.” They assist Zulu women by obtaining and distributing beads, teaching techniques, and suggesting designs for jewelry or home decorating objects that will sell based on market research. They then promote, package, ship, and collect payment for the finished beadwork throughout the U.S. and Europe. Such organizations expose a broader audience to Zulu beadwork and give Zulu women the opportunity to earn a small income while staying at home where they can oversee children and households. An example of this type of organization is Jane Bedford’s Abacus Studio in Durban (www.beadwork.co.za/ourpeople/index.htm). Jane combines the traditional skills of

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A contemporary necklace made for the fashion industry consists of strands of Czech beads twisted into thick ropes.

Zulu beadworkers with contemporary designs to create jewelry and objet d’art that have graced the shelves of Harrods of London, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus and been worn by the late Princess of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, among others. Through education and employment, Jane has empowered these women to take charge of their circumstances and make a real difference to their own lives and those of their children and wider community.

Some critters typical of those you’ll find on the wezandla website.

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A similar organization is Wezandla Crafts (www.wezandlacrafts.co.za/), which was started by a missionary couple. Located some 50 kilometers south of Dundee near the rugged hills of the old Zululand in the northern part of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, the area is plagued by poverty and hopelessness. Nearly all women are housebound, with many chores to attend to such as fetching water, collecting firewood, tending to cattle and crops, and seeing to family needs. The missionaries identified beadwork and grass basket-making as two strong skills that have become a springboard to a limited income for local women.

In other areas, some women sell their beadwork to traders who resell it at informal outdoor markets around the city or to other middlemen for overseas markets. Other outlets include local boutiques and galleries whose managers purchase pieces for the local tourist market and collectors. Among these are The African Art Center (www. afriart.org.za) and the BAT (Bartels Art Trust) Center (www.durbanet.co.za/bat/batinfo. htm). Having their work shown in galleries not only brings respect to Zulu women but also expands their horizons.

New Directions Zulus continue their strong beadwork tradition in the present century. With a strong background learned from older women, a small but growing group of beadworkers began to create a new, more artistic and sculptural type of beadwork in the early 1980s. This work is often composed of a wire armature or frame that is covered with stuffing, fabric, and beads. Beads may be sewn to the fabric covering, beaded panels may be applied to the objects, or the objects may be wrapped with strings of beads. From modest beginnings with dolls and human figures, the designs have expanded into imaginative animals, small birds, bugs, and other objects. Airplanes, helicopters, radios, and purses have also been created. Perhaps the most intriguing are the small tableaus that depict scenes from everyday life: women having lunch, a woman having a baby, children at school. These may remind one of “Outsider Art,” a term that is applied to art that is made by self-taught artists and which is “outside” of mainstream art. It is poignant and whimsical, but most of all authentic and appealing.

A new direction in beadwork includes figures beaded over armature wires.

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Flowerette Chain The Zulu Flowerette Chain is often the class favorite when I teach Zulu techniques. It is worked in rows up and down the length of the chain, usually with eight or nine rows of size 11° seed beads with size 6° seed beads shared by all rows, until the desired fullness is reached. The directions are given for a bracelet in two colors, but three or more colors may be used and the chain may be any length.

Materials for a 7.5" (19 cm) bracelet Size 11° seed beads: 15 g color A, 10 g color B Size 6° seed beads: 18 to 20 One 1/2" (1.3 cm) button with shank Nymo D thread Beading needle Wax

Bracelets made with the Flowerette Chain stitch. The bracelets close with a button-and-loop closure.

Opposite: Flowerette Chain. An antique store find, this was one of the first pieces that intrigued me about Zulu beadwork. Made in traditional colors with size 8 beads, the necklace is embellished with silver color buttons and ties provide the closure. 17” (43 cm) long.

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1.Thread a needle with 1 1/2 yd (137 cm) of thread and tie a shank button on one end, leaving a 4” (10 cm) tail that will be woven in later. String 1 size 6° seed bead. *Add 5A and 3B (for the tip) then pass back through the last A. This is a picot. Add 4 more A. Add 1 size 6° seed bead.*

2.Repeat from * to * until the piece is 9 3/4” (25 cm) or equal to your wrist measurement plus about 2 1/4” (5.5 cm) to allow for take-up. If you work with very tight tension, the take-up will be greater. Add a loop of beads large enough to go around your button (Figure 1). Pass back through the last size 6° seed bead and continue making picots, passing through each size 6° seed bead (Figure 2), until you come to the button end. Pass through the last size 6° seed bead, the button shank, and back through the last size 6° seed bead. Figure 1

Figure 2

3.Continue working up and down the chain for 8 or 9 rows, passing through the button on one end and through the loop of beads on the other end. If the loop becomes filled with thread, you may knot the thread between the beads and reverse direction or add a fringe (see Working the Loop End on page 33). Knot the thread and weave in the tails.

Helpful Hints Allowing for Take-up If you are making a necklace, you also must allow for take-up—the piece will become shorter as you add more rows. The amount of extra length to allow will vary depending on your beads and your tension, but in general, the beginning strand should be about one-quarter to one-third longer than the desired finished length.

A modern black and white Flowerette Chain necklace made by Zulu women for the tourist trade. 30” (76 cm) long.

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Making a Picot One of the most common mistakes made with this technique is incorrectly passing through the bead to make a picot. After adding the 3B beads, bring your needle back through the last A bead in the opposite direction of the first pass. If you go through in the same direction, the beads will lie differently and your piece will not have the correct tension.

Working the Loop End

Figure 3. Correct. Needle goes back through in the opposite direction and bead hole is perpendicular to the length of the work.

Figure 4. Incorrect. Both threads pass in the same direction and bead hole is parallel to the length of the work.

If you find that the beads in the loop are filled with thread, make a half-hitch knot between the size 6° seed bead and the loop, then continue back along the strand (Figure 5). Another option is to make a strand of fringe at the base of the loop, then continue back up the strand (Figure 6). Figure 5

Figure 6

A Flowerette Chain necklace made by the author with bronze three-cut beads and size 6 triangle beads accented with a vintage Bali silver bead and button closure. 40” (101.5 cm) long.

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Zulu Inspired Beadwork Weaving Techniques and Projects

In the last decade, there has been a growing worldwide interest in South African beadwork. In Zulu Inspired Beadwork, the first book devoted to the beading techniques used by Zulu women, bead master Diane Fitzgerald shares her expertise on Zulu beadwork with 25 stunning projects, celebrating the culture of this indigenous population. Begin with an introduction to Zulus and their beadwork, an inside look at the importance of beads in this South African culture, and the many beading techniques—some of which have never been published until now—used by Zulu women to create adornment. The author shares several dozen unique beading techniques garnered from years of visiting South Africa and countless hours spent examining—and dissecting—Zulu beadwork. Next move into projects inspired by the author’s visits to Africa, including netted diamond earrings, a netted triangle and swag bracelet, zigzag chain, and a Zulu wedding necklace. Techniques include netting, wrapping, fringing, braiding, and weaving. Projects are illustrated with easy-to-follow diagrams and supplemented with helpful hints. Readers will find gorgeous photographs of original Zulu beadwork juxtaposed with the author’s interpretation of the design and techniques. Part how-to, part history, part travelogue, Zulu Inspired Beadwork is a beading journey in a book.

Diane Fitzgerald is a bead collector, jewelry designer, and the owner of Beautiful Beads in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Diane has traveled to South Africa to study Zulu and Xhosa beadwork and to the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and other areas to learn about the glass bead industry and to meet beadworkers and beadmakers. She is the author of eight beading books including Netted Beadwork, Beading with Brick Stitch, and The Beaded Garden (all from Interweave Press) and writes frequently for Beadwork, Bead & Button, and Lapidary Journal. Diane lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Paperbound, 81/2 x 9, 128 pages 100 photographs, 20 illustrations ISBN 978-1-59668-034-0 $24.95 US / $31.95 Canada November 2007 IWP warehouse October 2007

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