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Art History Virtual Exhibition

Pair of Bead and Wire Girl Figures and Woman Figure: Researched by Kylei Giles

September, 2020 by Whitney Mosley

Image of Bead and Wire Woman Figure
Bead and Wire Woman Figure
Ndebele culture
20th century
Glass beads, wire, and cotton,
L. 5.4 cm x W. 3 cm x H. 10.1 cm
BFPC collection #2013.6a

 

Image of a pair of bead and wire girl figures
Pair of Bead and Wire Girl Figures
Ndebele culture
20th century
Glass beads, wire, and cotton, L. 3.3 cm x W. 2.7 cm x H. 9 cm
BFPC collection #2013.6b & 6c

The Pair of Bead and Wire Girls and the Bead and Wire Woman likely developed from both beadwork for courtship rituals and traditional dolls to become another type of figurine that was created for the tourist trade. Like the Beaded Figurine of a Girl, these wire figures also represent traditional Ndebele female dress; these figures, however, are completely made from beads and wire, and the neck rings that Ndbele women traditionally wear around their necks and legs are represented by sections of tightly coiled wire.

Like traditional Zulu beadwork, these figurines also follow specific color schemes and patterns. These figurines most closely relate to the isishunka color scheme, which is made up of seven colors including white, light blue, dark green, pale yellow, pink, red, and black. These figures have all these colors except for pink, and instead of red, they have orange beads. The isishunka scheme also has two different color fields: The umnqamulo color field is made up of solid colors, while the isiqaba color field is a plot of colors that could be compared to rows of crops in farmland. The plotting of colors is especially notable on the wire woman, as her skirt and her arms have a precise pattern that is reminiscent of rows of plants on a farm. Researched by Kylei Giles

 

 

For more information, you may contact the researcher(s) noted in the title of this exhibit entry, or Dr. Billie Follensbee, the professor of the course, at BillieFollensbee@MissouriState.edu

Filed Under: 2020 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa Tagged With: 20th century, african art, beaded figure, beadwork, ndebele culture

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Categories

  • 2014 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2015 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2016 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2016 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2017 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2018 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2018 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2019 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2020 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa

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