#thembu

Wedding Ensemble for a Bride (Umtshakazi), Thembu, 1950, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

For the Thembu and other Xhosa-speaking peoples, the beauty, translucence, and weight of layers of beaded ornaments have spiritual dimensions. Shiny, reflective materials are associated with enlightenment, purity, and access to the ancestral realm. Thembu beadworking flourished among young women in the 1940s and 1950s, but declined in the 1960s. Each of the items in this wedding ensemble was lovingly made. Many are notable for their creative reuse of materials: for example, the bracelet from which a handkerchief is suspended; the armlets made of twisted brass wire; and the beaded teaspoon necklaces, which were intended to make the marriage sweet. Restricted gift of the Woman's Board of the Art Institute of Chicago; partial gift of Axis Gallery (Gary Van Wyk and Lisa Brittan) Size: H. 114 cm (44 7/8 in.) Medium: Cotton cloth, glass beads, mother of pearl beads, thread, and leather

Wedding Ensemble for a Bride (Umtshakazi) and for a Groom (Umyeni) made by the Thembu people of South Africa (1950s)

Wedding Ensemble for a Bride (Umtshakazi), Thembu, 1950, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

For the Thembu and other Xhosa-speaking peoples, the beauty, translucence, and weight of layers of beaded ornaments have spiritual dimensions. Shiny, reflective materials are associated with enlightenment, purity, and access to the ancestral realm. Thembu beadworking flourished among young women in the 1940s and 1950s, but declined in the 1960s. Each of the items in this wedding ensemble was lovingly made. Many are notable for their creative reuse of materials: for example, the bracelet from which a handkerchief is suspended; the armlets made of twisted brass wire; and the beaded teaspoon necklaces, which were intended to make the marriage sweet. Restricted gift of the Woman's Board of the Art Institute of Chicago; partial gift of Axis Gallery (Gary Van Wyk and Lisa Brittan) Size: H. 114 cm (44 7/8 in.) Medium: Cotton cloth, glass beads, mother of pearl beads, thread, and leather

Wedding Ensemble for a Bride (Umtshakazi), Thembu, 1950, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

For the Thembu and other Xhosa-speaking peoples, the beauty, translucence, and weight of layers of beaded ornaments have spiritual dimensions. Shiny, reflective materials are associated with enlightenment, purity, and access to the ancestral realm. Thembu beadworking flourished among young women in the 1940s and 1950s, but declined in the 1960s. Each of the items in this wedding ensemble was lovingly made. Many are notable for their creative reuse of materials: for example, the bracelet from which a handkerchief is suspended; the armlets made of twisted brass wire; and the beaded teaspoon necklaces, which were intended to make the marriage sweet. Restricted gift of the Woman's Board of the Art Institute of Chicago; partial gift of Axis Gallery (Gary Van Wyk and Lisa Brittan) Size: H. 114 cm (44 7/8 in.) Medium: Cotton cloth, glass beads, mother of pearl beads, thread, and leather

Wedding Ensemble for a Groom (Umyeni), Thembu, 1950, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

See 1998.518. Restricted gift of the Woman's Board of The Art Institute of Chicago; partial gift of Axis Gallery (Gary Van Wyk and Lisa Brittan) Size: Skirt height: 65.5 cm (25 3/4 in.) Medium: Cotton cloth, glass beads, mother of pearl beads, thread, leather, wool, and metal

Wedding Ensemble for a Groom (Umyeni), Thembu, 1950, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

See 1998.518. Restricted gift of the Woman's Board of The Art Institute of Chicago; partial gift of Axis Gallery (Gary Van Wyk and Lisa Brittan) Size: Skirt height: 65.5 cm (25 3/4 in.) Medium: Cotton cloth, glass beads, mother of pearl beads, thread, leather, wool, and metal

Wedding Ensemble for a Groom (Umyeni), Thembu, 1950, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

See 1998.518. Restricted gift of the Woman's Board of The Art Institute of Chicago; partial gift of Axis Gallery (Gary Van Wyk and Lisa Brittan) Size: Skirt height: 65.5 cm (25 3/4 in.) Medium: Cotton cloth, glass beads, mother of pearl beads, thread, leather, wool, and metal