Ndebele Married Woman's Apron - South Africa

Ndebele women made and wore a variety of beaded aprons to communicate their stages of life. On her wedding day, and afterward until she bore a child, a woman would wear the Itjorholo, a large apron with five hanging, fingerlike panels symbolizing the children she will bear. Created by her mother-in-law, the apron was traditionally made of animal skin and covered over almost its entire front surface with thousands of tiny white beads, with the addition of a bold, colored design in the main rectangular panel.

The Ndebele are known for decorating their homes with geometric wall paintings, and the abstract, rectilinear design seen in this example, depicting a homestead, echoes such paintings. These types of geometric designs became popular on Itjorholo around the mid-twentieth century. Many aprons were once decorated with valuable brass beads, signifying wealth, but they were often removed before the Itjorholo was sold.

Mid-20th century
Glass beads, hide, thread
H: 27 in W: 25 in
Provenance:

Deaccessioned from a New York corporate art collection

Private collection, New York



Item Number:
684
Request Price
Draft
Click To Enlarge

Keep In Touch

Stay up to date on new acquisitions, collections, updates, and more.
Thank you, we'll be in touch.
Apologies—something went wrong. Please try again.