Scope and Contents

'The Basuto sun hat is of open weave, providing plenty of air space, and a moving pattern of shade on the head. It is a favourite with both ·men and women and assumes many shapes. Facial markings were common to Basuto women formerly, but are now seldom seen. A woman wears her blanket pinned in front, a man's· blanket being pinned on the right shoulder. Aprons and many-tucked long skirts are typical wear among Basuto women, and reflect the missionary influence of Victorian days.'

Scope and Contents 'The mcwasho is a gathering of girls from all Swaziland to celebrate the coming of age of a Swazi Princess. Added to the usual dancing regalia is a wool decoration of particular design, two streamers finished with bright tassels, which are suspended from behind the head. Each sub tribe has its two sets of particular colours, one set for engaged girls, another for the not engaged. These streamers are treated with great respect and after the mcwasho period, which may last a considerable time,...

Scope and Contents 'The Fingo of the Ciskei is the "pearly king" of the African tribes. Formerly entire aprons would be covered in pearl buttons. Today the concentration is on the black head cloth which is encrusted with buttons and beads, and is further decorated with stitching. Buttons appear again on shoulder blanket and skirt. White beads are used profusely, black braid and fringes of black fur. The blanket colour is deep red ochre which distinguishes Fingo women from Xosa in the Peddie area. Fingoes have...

Scope and Contents

In Basutoland, (as elsewhere in Africa), the infant is carried on the back and incorporated in the folds of its mother's gay blanket. The infant head is always clean shaven, and the entire baby is kept shining with vaseline (formerly animal fat), a protection against summer sun and winter frost. This mother's dress echoes the Victorian missionary era in the series of tucked aprons and petticoats. Her purchase at the local trading store is ‘tickey paraffin’, a constant need.

Scope and Contents An album containing mounted prints, the majority sepia toned, with typescript captions and explanatory notes depicting the peoples of southern Africa. The captions and notes have been recorded as found and may include language which is offensive, inaccurate or inappropriate. They have been retained to reflect the context of the collection's creation. Captions supplied by the cataloguer are enclosed in square brackets. The prints are of various sizes but the majority measure approximately...

Scope and Contents

'Blue and white is the beadwork of Pondoland and red ochre the colour of everyday wear. Unmarried girls do not wear the ceremonial white, nor do they attend parties, celebrations, beer drinks. The bead head band of this typical design is usually worn by girls and boys of courting age, and may be interchanged as tokens of affection. The exchange of love tokens is a popular Pondo custom. Scarification of the face in the manner illustrated, is also customary.'

Scope and Contents

'Traditionally, when a young Pondo man seats himself, his legs must be straight out along the ground, his blanket draped down torso and legs. Draperies are ochred deep red and beadwork is of blue and white. Regular dress comprises hip cloth kept in place by a series of beaded belts; a blanket; a twist of cloth on the hair which is finely plaited in neat ‘ducks' tails’. Sparring with sticks is the most popular pastime of young Pondo manhood.'

Scope and Contents 'A day after her marriage the young bride may appear in her new regalia, the bright cape of layers of coloured cloths fringed with beads and the pink or red apron. She wears numerous necklaces among them the perfume necklace of hand-whittled, aromatic wood strips. On her newly built ‘isiqolo’ coiffure are pinned the usual ' bead decorations known as ‘flying machines’ – ‘fry machine’ or ‘butterflies’ or ‘mvemvan’. At a party she seats herself in a ‘hlompha’ or respect attitude, leaning...

Scope and Contents 'Correct attire for a Xosa matron is the shoulder cape, apron and the half circle, braided skirt. A large stitched head swathing or 'ciya’ is also an essential. Formerly the 'ciya' colour denoted the wearer's home district, as the ochre, red, orange or yellow does today. In some districts it is said that the numbers of braid layers on a skirt denote the wearer’s financial position. These skirts, of the half circle design, are a fashion from Port St. Johns to Port Elizabeth and are a direct...

Scope and Contents 'The Swazi Bride at her wedding shows little enthusiasm for the festivities. It is undignified to exhibit pleasure on leaving her father's kraal and entering that of her father-in-law. At one stage in the ceremony, she stands at a distance from the main celebrations, leaning on a spear. Later she drives this spear into the ground as a symbol that her first born son should be heir to the kraal. If an heir is already established a member of the husband's party strikes the spear to the ground....

Scope and Contents 'As a member of the powerful Dhlamini family, this Swazi Chief is entitled to wear the red wing feathers of the grey loerie bird. He also wears the necklace and shoulder streamers of large, round, pink beads which are prerogative of the leading families are Dhlamini and Mamba. His white bracelet indicates a chief, as also the piece of leopard skin worn at his waist over his loin cloth. Hair is blonded and fluffed out in true Swazi style. Arranging of hair and the precise placing of feathers...

Scope and Contents 'The Swazi youth takes a keen interest in his hair and carries a mirror as frequently as do the womenfolk. His mirror may be decorated with beadwork by his womenfolk, or set in a wooden frame which he darkens with burning and carves into patterns. The lightening of his hair is a serious occupation, almost a ritual. A waterfall or rapids is essential to the process and helps to straighten and sort out the kinky hair. Yellow soap is heavily lathered on after the waterfall treatment and remains...

Scope and Contents 'Red wing feathers of the South African grey loerie are, in Swaziland, worn exclusively by members of the two leading families, Dhlamini and Mamba. Sobhuza, the Paramount Chief, is himself a Dhlamini. Every day dress for a Swazi girl consists of bright cloths of designs which have developed, in the trade, strictly to Swazi taste. The various types of cloths have their names in the Swazi language. The necklace as here depicted is typical Swazi choice in colour and design. Hair is lightened by...

Scope and Contents 'The Swazi married woman may be recognised by the piled up hair, or ‘isiqolo’. Unlike the flower pot shape of the Zulu ‘isiqolo’, hers is rounded, hair at forehead and temples being wrought into delicate, oiled corkscrew curls. Other essentials of the married woman's dress are the goatskin apron and black leather skirt. The apron is of long haired goatskin, having a centre panel cleared of fur and a strongly string-bound upper edge. This apron is tied under the armpits when a woman is newly...

Scope and Contents 'The Swazi shield is almost circular and carries a small tuft of feathers. The staff of the shield is also longer than that of the Zulu, and also sports feather decorations. These feathers are split to make them curl. Spears have a hilt covered with hide and the knobkerrie is of typical design carved in sharp ridges. Fur necklace and streamers are of narrow strips bound around a central thong. A bright loin draping with pieces of animal skin at front and back are typical male dress, and the...

Scope and Contents 'The Swazi woman, immediately upon losing her husband retires into her hut for a week and during that period she is employed making her widow's weeds, assisted by other women of the kraal. Her hair is shaved and she is fitted with a skull cap of plaited grasses. Other items are grass twists passing diagonally across the body and over the shoulders; a saddle of grass loops through which are attached thongs of oxhide; a medicinal necklace. Her married woman's apron of goatskin is scraped clear...

Scope and Contents 'Several interesting commemoration blankets have been issued for the Basuto trade by blanket makers in England and South Africa. The Victory or Spitfire blanket portrays the recognised emblems, the V sign, wings, aeroplanes, bombs. Another blanket shows the British army badges, and a South African design commemorates war service ‘up north’ depicting ships, the Sphinx, Pyramids, Palm trees, camels. A more recent design was issued on the occasion of the visit of Their Majesties to South...

Scope and Contents 'Pipe smoking is common to men and women of the Xosa peoples. Each pipe is made from a single piece of wood, and has a detach­able mouthpiece. Stitched head cloths and ochred faces are a usual fashion. The hair necklace here illustrated is of medicinal value and is made from the hair of a special cow's tail. Each family owns a cow of special significance, whose tail is reserved for the making of these necklaces, and. such a cow may not be sold however large the price offered. Necklaces are...

Scope and Contents 'Among the Xosa tribes the use of ochres, red, orange or yellow, on blankets and dress, varies from one district to another, brilliant orange being favoured by the peoples of the East London and Kingwilliamstown areas. The young girl, not yet of marriageable age, wears her skirts short, and custom further insists that she must conceal herself in a light blanket. Her draperies are decorated with braid and a few pearl buttons. The braiding, if not obtainable, is made from strips of black...

Scope and Contents 'A great feature of Xosa accessories is the bag which is large, and functions both as shopping and pipe bag. When goats are plentiful the regular bag is made from an entire goatskin. The skin is slit down trunk centre and back legs and thence peeled off the carcass via forelegs and neck. These latter when tied at the ends form ingenious seamless bags. Fore and back legs are joined, fringed, beaded, and the whole bag fits snugly over the shoulder. The blanket worn by mature men has one large...

Scope and Contents 'The sign of recent marriage amongst women of Xosa tribes, is the black head swathing or ‘elya’ worn low over the eyes. Until the child is weaned its face is decorated with white, the mother's face, shoulders and upper arms being treated in similar fashion. The wide bead collar is a common Xosa form of adornment, the necklace of large wooden beads being a health charm for the child. These health charm necklaces assume many forms and are worn from Port St. John to Port Elizabeth by all...

Scope and Contents 'The tall hat of baboon skin is typical of the most highly skilled of Xosa witch doctors. Male and female witches dress alike, but the former wears a shorter skirt. Black braid decorates the white skirts over which are worn a kilt of strips of animal skin. White beads are copiously worn over forehead and chest. Small beaded calabashes contain medicine, and the series of metal bracelets are typical of the Xosa peoples, said to be worn for medicinal purposes. Pipe smoking is also typical, the...

Scope and Contents 'Squatting on the haunches, a stick in one hand, the other arm resting on one knee, is a typical attitude of a Zulu when ‘in council’. This Zulu elder wears the ‘kehla’ head ring which is built into the hair with a preparation of plant latex, a custom fast disappearing or being represented by a detachable modern equivalent of wooden or leather ring. What appears to be animal tails worn at the waist are made up of narrow strips of animal skin wound round a central thong. The back panel is of...

Scope and Contents 'The Zulu child is usually carried on its mother's back. Among some of the Natal tribal groups a rolled blanket is tied on the hips, under the beaded hip cloth, to provide a comfortable seat for the child. In wet weather the blanket is detached and used to keep the rain off. A girl child wears beadwork, her hair frequently being thick with heavy beads. The plaited hair style of the mother is an alternative to the usual built up head dress of marriage. She wears the married woman's grass belt...