The South Ndebele, together with the Zulu, Xhosa and Swazi, belong to the South Nguni ethnic group. It is not known where this group had its origins, or when the individual tribes that comprise it moved into the areas they occupy today. In the case of the South. Ndebele group, the area is, broadly speaking, the Eastern Transvaal High Id to the north-east of Pretoria. Here, they have lived and worked on farms for generations and, since the mid- 1980s, also in their homeland of KwaNdebele (the `P/ace of the Ndebeie). The tribe consists of two major clans, the Ndzundza and the Manala, together comprising probably less than 400 000 people. Of these, something like 90 per cent are Ndzundza.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
The most popular theory on the origins of the South Ndebe)e suggests that they hived off from the Zulu, but one cannot rule out the possibility that they have Xhosa origins. Pirstly, as a Xhosa linguist, l can communicate more easily with the Ndebele than with the Zulu. Also, the physique of the Ndebele men resembles more closely those of the Xhosa than the Zulu. My superficial impression, without the benefit of an in-depth study, is that Ndebele men are, in general, less sturdy than their Zulu counterparts. Conclusive evidence in support of either theory has, however, remained elusive.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
At this point, it is important that a distinction be drawn between the South Ndebele and the North Ndebele. These are two completely separate tribes, although they do seem to have the same origins. The North Ndebele are found mostly in the north-eastern Transvaal, and have a close association with - and have become largely integrated into - the North Sotho. Consequently, the South Ndebele are often referred to simply as the Ndebele. It is these people that are the subject of this book.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
The characteristic of their lives which most obviously distinguishes the South Ndebe/c from the other indigenous South African peoples is, of course, their art, be this house-painting, beadwork or any of the other visual arts from which they
- derive so much joy. The brightly painted houses that decorate the Transvaal Highveld with their distinctive designs proclaim clearly `This is an Ndebele home; and the striking style of dress of the women could not be mistaken for that of any other tribe.
Sadly, though, their unique lifestyle and art is gradually starting to disappear Although western civilization, with its greater technology and exciting new concepts, provided the means for some of the brightest moments in Ndebele culture, the attractions of the modern world are now beginning to take over the Ndebele way of life. The art of a nation is dying, as rising costs make the necessary materials prohibitive, and the ever-increasing tempo of life precludes the time to pursue it.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

Aubrey Elliott Pretoria 1989

DEVELOPMENT OF HOME-BUILDING[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
History among the rural Ndebele goes back only as far as the memory of the oldest members of the tribe, or perhaps a little further, if they recall, infhevmzythat tribespeople do, what 'grandfather told'. Not very much, then, is known about the old Ndebele culture and way of life, but in relatively recent times - shortly before they had contact with the white man - they probably lived, as they still do today on and near the Transvaal Highveld, and the style of home would have been influenced bytopography.
Christo van Vuuren, an eminent authority on the South Nclebele, researched in depth the early home structure of this tribe. By questioning South Ndebele people, particularly veterans of the tribe, he emerged with an interesting impression of the earliest huts (dating back to the late 1800's). With the help of old Ndebe!emen, VbnVuumn had these huts recreated at the South Ndebele Open Air Museum at Botshabelo. The resultant structures were beehiveshaped, oompri»inggnzos#hatchingm^era framework of oop!ingu. The entrance was low and tunnel-shaped, to force anyone entering the hut to double over This would have placed someone intending to attack the occupants of the hut at an immediate disadvantage.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
The layout of the South Ndebele homestead of this era sprang from the polygamous nature oftheiroooiety. Within the circumference of the outer fence were contained the huts of a man's wives, the position of each hut depending on the seniority of the wife. The cattle byre was always the focal point of such an establishment, as cattle have always been important to the Ndebele. The byre was built of stone, without the use of any form of mortar, and the young boys slept in a hut nearby, as they were, and still[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

are, in rural districts, the cattle herders of the family This layout of the homestead has, in essence, remained the same, although the construction of the huts themselves has changed considerably.
The first instances of mud being used in home-building occurred at about the turn of the century, when the tunnel-shaped entrance to the huts was superseded by the more impressive, higher, mud-walled entrance. In my own studies of Ndebele customs, I learned from an Ndebele man, Richard Sibiya, who was born in the Groblersdal area in 1937 that he grew up in a house of this type and that occasional examples might be seen even today.
A structure that came into being in this era was the grain storage house. This was made of wood, and balanced on stilts, to keep the grain off the damp ground.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
By the early 20th century, most Ndebele homes were round, mud-brick, plastered constructions set in open courtyards with outer walls enclosing the whole area. The use of mud for building allowed for more imaginative architecture, and the gateway became a decorative front for the home rather than a simple gap in the wall. An interesting feature sometimes seen in the gateway to a home was a small stile about 20 centimetres high. This was to prevent pigs from running into the yard,
1. A model of the earliestknown style of Ndebele hut
2. Mud-walled entrances first appeared at the turn of the century[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
3. An old stone cattle byre, built without mortar 4. A pig stile
5. Representation of on early20th centuryhut, at Botshabelo
6. A grain store built on stilts
7 The layout of an early Ndebele home[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

1 Main entrance
2 Cattle kraal 3 Calves' pen
4 Men's meeting place 5 Kraal for goats 6 Main hut
7 Hut - second wife 8 Hut-third wife 9 Hut - fourth wife 10 Hut-fifth wife 11 Hut -sixth wife 12 Herdboy's hut 13 Daughters' huts
14 Women's entrance 15 Cultivated fields

The 20th century has seen Ndebele people emerge from an era of grass'beehive' huts into more-practical, mud-bricl-~ it~atched houses, the brightly coloured structures that so strikingly decorate the[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

The older of the two main types of Ndebele home in existence today is circular, with an inner room surrounded by an outer passageway. The room serves as sleeping quarters for the parents who sleep either on the ground around the fire, wrapped in skins, or on an iron bed if they can afford one. The layout of this room will obviously differ from home to home, but a popular feature is the cupboard unit used for storing personal belongings, It is built of mud bricks and plaster, and hardened with cow dung.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
In the centre of the room, dug into the floor, is a circular fireplace, This provides for warmth in winter, when people can sleep next to it. However, the cooking of the family meals is conducted outside, as the amount of smoke generated would make the interior of the house unbearable,

poses: a sleeping area for the children, a dining area in inclement weather, and a
The passageway surrounding the inner The entrance to the hut passes through the passageway and into the parents'quarters,
The artistic nature of the Ndebele shows
room of the home serves a number of pur
AteK in every aspect of their lives, and home-building is no exception, The simple[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

gateways of the early Ndebele style of home-building have gradually evolved into elaborate and highly decorative archways. The old 'architect' and builder of one such archway proudly explained how it beautified the approach to his home, and that the youngest of his three wives had decorated it. My enthusiasm pleased him, until I asked him about the two stones on top. He become silent and, I think, nervous
and said 'lightning is bad in this place, I was afraid ... then I went to see Songoma (diviner) a long way away He put his strongest medicine on those stones now lightning can never strike my house!'[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
The most recent development in South Ndebele home-building, one that is clearly the result of the influence of early pioneers, is the introduction of rectangular houses in place of the traditional, circular structures. Materials, too, have changed, mud and thatch being replaced by cemerr and corrugated iron, The popularity of these materials is due to their durability and the comparative ease with which they can be used, though I personally feel that they are less aesthetically pleasing than their more traditional predecessors.
7. The passageway around the central living
00M
2, Stones atop the archway treated by a diviner against the wall and a fireplace in the floor r4. An Ndebele homestead
epel 1~gh5 memrav pncmo-eounguxar wextem*tyy/e 3. The central living room w#h 'cupboards' homes
6, An elaborate arch way makes a striking entrance to ohmne

WAY OF LIFE
South Ndebele the framework family life operates within
of a rigid heirarchical structure, with the father of the family[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
i his wives and children, The Ndebele are polygamous, and and men may have as many wives as they can afford to lobold in cattle, the principle behind this being that, if they can afford to pay for their wives, they can afford to sustain them. Negotiations or) lobolo (cattle to be paid for the bride) between the two families concerned are an important part of the marriage ceremony. They can be protracted and stubbornly argued: the girl's ultimate marriage is, of course, a much
celebrated father proclaiming her exceptional virtues, and the boys his own financial difficulties
and the excessiveness of the claim. The
event with many cattle being slaughtered and large quantities of beer brewed.
The father of a family is not merely the ruler of his wife and young children. As his sons marry they bring their wives back to his establishment, so it is with his grandsons and great grandsons, until, eventually, he may govern a small village.
In this patriarchal society, it will be appreciated, a 'grand old man' has considerable influence, and this influence is carried over from life into death. The Ndebe!obo!keve in God as the 'creator of all things', but that he is concerned only with 'big things like life and death', Everyday matters are the domain of the ancestral spirits, and the relationship between the Ndebele family and their ancestors is a close one. The Ndebele believe that a man likes to be 'remembered', and likes to have cattle and goats, as well as beer, offered to him occasionally
On the form, 'Pineglades', in the Belfast district, I once phed o gmveon which lay a clay beer pot and. two cups. These were empty when I took the photographs, and this pleased Mr Fanie Mabhena, an Ndebele family head on the farm, who has an ancestral father lying there. Fanie told me:'- they were full when the moon was new., This means our father has taken our offering and know that we remember him. It will make him happy.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

The Ndebele diet is a simple one by our standards, traditionally consisting of meat and vegetables which are farmed by the people themselves. The young boys look after the cuflle, sheep, goats and poultry while the women tend crops of millet, pumpkins and melons. Maize is a relatively new foodstuff in the Ndebele world.
One of their specialities is a foodstuff called 'umrogho', which Richard Sibiya told me was the vegetable equivalent of biltong. To make it they lightly boil young green pumpkin runners with young pumpkin seeds. The mixture is then sundried, and may be kept for long periods and 'nibbled as a treat'.
Music and rhythm is in the blood of the Ndebele, and children are taughtto dance at an early age. Ndebele men, no matter how old, will never miss an opportunity to show off their dancing skills. Instruments will be made from almost anything that will make a noise, although drums are not as prevalent among the Ndebele as among the other tribes of the South Nguni.
7. Umrogho, a sun-dried delicacy
2. A grave on the farm Pineglades' in the Belfast district
3. An Ndebele village near 8etha! 4. Early dancing lessons
5. Two women rehearsing' a wedding ceremony 6. Ndebele men never miss an opportunity to dance.
7. A woman blows into a plastic pipe to make music,[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

MURAL ART

The Ndebele could aptly be called 'The Artist People', as they are conspicuous, if not unique, in their devotion to art, and their talents seem almost instinctive - born out of a compelling urge to express themselves in colour and design.
Painting is done exclusively by females, I think it would be frowned upon if a man were to take up a brush, as the Ndebele are a people of defined customs and habits; they even have a time when a girl is expected to start painting -at the advent of puberty Young girls are taught by their mothers or older sisters, and almost eve~y

The origins of painting among the South Ndebele are largely unknown, but it can be safely assumed that the practice began at around about the time that houses with mud walls began to emerge. The original paints were natural-coloured clays - white, red, yellow and, sometimes, dark grey -oa we!l as cow dung and charcoal, A base colour would be applied with hands, and patterns of different colours added, using brushes made from bunches of fowl feathers.
The turn of the century saw the introduction of a new colour to the Ndebele palette - blue. This came from the washing blue introduced by the white traders who[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

poured , into the area at this time. New colours followed with the arrival of commercial powder paints, and paintbrushes of the modern variety began to make an appearance. In recent years, acrylic paints, with their bright colours and great durability have become a favourite with Ndebele artists,
An encouraging amount of interest in Ndebele art has been apparent in recent years, and the Middelburg Town Council cannot be too highly praised fortheir efforts at the Botshabelo Museum to encourage and preserve Ndebele culture.
One of the artists from Botshabelo, Esther Mahlangu, was chosen by the Pompidou Art Museum to visit Paris during April and May 1989. When I was photographing Esther, as she was retouching a 12-metrelong mural (all painted completely freehand), I asked her if she ever used a straight edge. She laughed derisively and said 'you mean a RULER!'
1. Hand-plastering a wall-seat with cow dung
2. EstherMahlangu, amasterofherart-thelines, drawn freehand, are 12 metres long.
3. Acrylic paints have offered new opportunities to Ndebele artists.
4. A mural painted with natural clays, ochre and charcoal[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

Ndebele artists are partial to large surfaces on which to exhibit their talents, and so have found the walls of their homes - both inside and outside - ideal for the purpose.. They have also added spacious courtyard walls and cow-dung-plastered floors, the latter being finger painted in geometric designs. In addition to all this, it is not uncommon for an enthusiastic husband to build a special free-standing wall for his wife or daughter to use for further paintings.
I once heard a delightful explanation for the Ndebele's love of these large 'canvasses' from a good artist friend of mine. In discussing the subject with an Ndebele counterpart, the latter said: 'you know, you white people are funny. You pay lots of money for a little piece of canvas, you paint on it, then hide it inside your house where no-one can see it!' She laughed ... 'who does that help?' Then she went on: 'but we Ndebete teach our daughters to paint for everyone to see ... and enjoy! Then, too, one day there might even be a nice young man come passing by. He will stop to admire her work... then... who knows! He might end up building walls for her!'[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
The subject matter of Ndebele art, forthe most part, relates to basic things that the people see around them, and they seem especially fascinated by objects the white man has introduced which are different to theirs. I remember in the 196f)S being on a country road south of Middelburg, where some good art was to be seen on the farms. The 'razor-blade theme' was easily identified, as the blade of the day was very realistically depicted- a double-edged blade with a slit up the middle to take the two pegs of the razor. The theme is still used today but in hardly recognizable forms, no doubt because this type of razor is scarcely seen now - if at all.
Another theme which was popular at that time was the old, country shopkeeper's scale - two pans on either end of

a bar balanced on a fulcrum. So, too, were =
rural telephone poles, which had crossbars at the top holding multiple white porcelain insulators. Street lamps also had a good innings, as did motor-car number plates. Many of the artists were, however, quite illiterate, and often could not remember exactly what a letter or number looked like, but upside-down or back-to-front characters added to the charm of drawings and made them just that much more interesting.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
Surprisingly, animals are a comparatively rare feature in Ndebele art. Such paintings, when they occur, tend to show a characteristic of the animal rather than providing an accurate depiction.
Ndebele art, sadly, faces an uncertain future, as the encroachment of western civilization threatens to swamp the traditional African cultures entirely Many young people leave their traditional homesteads to attend schools, and then move on to the cities to work. It is doubtful whether they will continue to paint when out of their home environs, and confronted with the greater pressures of urban life,
7. A completed Ndebele pointing is a spectacular sight.
2. A gabled house is a popular subject of paintings,
3. Animals, a rarity in Ndebele artworks 4. Alarm clock'
5. An example of the magnificent work to be seen at Bofshabe/o
6. The precision freehand work displayed here is typical of Ndebele art.
7The back of an Ndebele home can yield some pleasant surprises.

Following pages: The simple but cherished home of Fani Mabhena on the form Pineglades near Belfast Mrs Mabhena goes out to gather firewood with her children,[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

DRESS

The dress and regalia of the Ndebele people reflect their love of colour and design, Women take great pride in the beauty of their clothes, to the extent that it has sometimes proved difficult for me to get pictures accurately depicting traditional dress, as the photographic model would often don extra regalia to be'smart for the camera'. As with all the South Nguni tribes, the dress of the South Ndebele is an indication of their age and social status.
Interesting among the Nclebele, and, indeed, all of South Africa's rural peoples, is their tendency to conform. Apart from variations indicating their position in the family heirarchy, the Ndebele dress is uniform in style; their houses, habits and religion, too, are homogenous. My belief is that this arises out of a saying I have sometimes heard them use: We don't boast'. The basic principle here, of course, is that it is bad form to outshine one's chief or superiors. Not only that, but, in days gone by, they might easily have been punished for showing disrespectto their chief (or even accused of witchcraft) in outshining him,
The Ndebele regard children as a blessing - God's gilt to the family They love to have big families because, to those living under the traditional Ndebele way of life, it is beneficial to have many children. Sons are needed to help the father in his duties in protecting the home, while daughters will fetch a bride price once they are old enough to marry
The dress for very young children of the Ndebele is very simple. A young boy is usually allowed to run around naked, or with a a omo!l front apron of goatskin (called a ghobi)' cut into a fringe at the bottom and attached to a thong around his waist, Occasionally he may wear an apron at the back as well, The front aprons[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]

of little girls are made up of thick strands of cord. A single, large bead at the bottom of each cord serves to weigh tt down. A strand of beads is worn around the ankle,
As with all facets of Nclebele life, however, the traditional way of doing things is gradually being superseded by the more modern, western culture, and beaded front aprons are losing their place in favour of jeans and T-shirts -thetype of dress seen on any city children.
As the girls get older, the front aprons become progressively larger, until such time as the girls come to be regarded as marriageable, To achieve this status, a ceremony must be undergone at the advent of puberty which involves being isolated in a hut for approximately one month, After this, the dress of the young girls changes dramatically The beaded front aprons are replaced by stiff, square, board ones, traditionally made of hardened skin, but these days of cardboard or even hardboard, Canvas is put on the back of the apron, and masses of colourful beads are threaded or fastened to the front, The Ndebele love of colour and form is evident once again on these aprons, which sometimes exhibit quite spectacular designs. Marriageable girls may be seen wearing blankets, although it is more usual for them to leave their breasts uncovered. They also wear a profusion of heavy beaded hoops - or, alternatively copper bands - around their necks, arms, legs and waists. However, unlike married women, who have these bought for them by their husbands, unmarried girls must buy them themselves.
Before they have undergone the circumcision ceremony, young men are regarded as relatively unimportant members of the family They are consequently allowed to do more or less what they want, and wear anything that takes their fancy. Their basic item of clothing is the goatskin front apron, but to this they will often add any number of decorative items - sometimes borrowed from their sisters or girlfriends. Also, decorative 'badges'- pieces of beadwork - are made for them by their girlfriends as tokens of affection,
7. Modern dress in a traditional home[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
2 Young bo~s wearing their sister ~ beads 3. Even the tiniest Ndebele children love to model,
4. Discomfort is willingly endured by the fashionably dressed,
5 A young girl of marriageable age, flanked by two young boys

The dress of an Ndebele woman become most spectacular once she has married, Firstly, her square apron is changed for one which is similar in shape, but which has a rectangular inset at the bottom. This inset has a beaded fringe hung from it, and the apron, like those of marriageable girls, is covered with colourful designs.
It is customary for a married woman to cover her breasts, so she will usually wear a blanket over her shoulders, Most popular are the colourful Middleburg blankets with their red, green, blue and yellow stripes.
Around her neck, a newly married woman will wear a rho/wan!, a huge, thick, heavy, beaded hoop of twisted grass. This hoop indicates that a woman is married, but that her husband has not yet built hero home. Once the home is built, the rholwani is cut off and replaced by copper or brass bands. The more of these a woman is able to display the greater the wealth of her husband.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
Partially in order to find something more suited to a modern lifestyle, and partially because of the tremendous cost of copper and brass, many Ndebele women have substituted neck bands made of a flexible, plastic, silver- or brass-painted cord for the traditional variety
As a sign of respect for her husband, an Ndebele woman will always keep her head covered. Headdresses range from simple bands of beadsto the elaborate and highly decorative tiaras that are fashionable in areas around Pretoria. Sometimes a woman may be seen wearing two bands of beads hanging to the ground and fastened, one on each side, to a bond around her head, This indicates that she has a son undergoing initiation to manhood.

As is the case in western European culture, the Ndebele respond to fashions, although these are relatively constant in their society A few generations ago, blocks made of an aromatic wood and worr around the neck were popular, although these were rather exclusive items and are now extremely rare. The latest fashion in Ndebele dress, one which has appeared ir the last decade or two, is the wearing of tackies and umbrellas, especially on ceremonial occasions. Strangely enough. tackies are worn only for decoration, as the extremely tough feet of the Ndebele neec no protection.
1. Maria Mahlangu - strong traditionalist 2. A fine bead tiara
3. Headdress of the 7980s
4. Copper and brass neck bands 5. A typical rholwani[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
6. This wedding train contains over a million beads.
7 Women follow uniform dress patterns.

Before circumcision, the Ndebele believe, obnyhoomt been united with his soul, and, consequently is not really human. He is, therefore, relatively free to do as he pleases, and any form of misbehaviour, even theft, is expected - if not condoned - from a young boy. This is reflected in his clothing, which consists of anything he can find to wear, Once the circumcision ceremony is oomp!eted, however, he is expected to adopt a responsible attitude, and, once again, this is reflected in his clothing.
In complete contrast to that of their women, the attire of Ndebele men is simple and subdued. The main feature of an Ndebele man's traditional dress is the pmioan, a front apron, usually made from the skin of a genet or civet cat, and hung from a hoop around the neck. The poriaan is designed so that it wi!l hang down between the man's legs when he sits. A man will also wear a small triangle of leather, attached to a cord around the

waist. On his head he may have the tail of an animal, or a small tuft of its fijr, attached with a thong of leather. Very occasionally, he may wear sandals of hard, dried cowhide.
The Ndebele have never been a warlike nation, but they do have their battle dress, although nowadays this is only worn on ceremonial occasions. Weapons include spears - with metal tips - and knobkerries, but perhaps the most interesting ttern is the shield. This is made of hardened cowhide, and has a handle made of a bunch of thin sticks. In battle, the shield would be shaken - causing the sticks to rattle - in an attempt to frighten off the enemy.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
As most men are accustomed to wearing conventional western dress to jobs in the cities, traditional regalia is rarely seen, even in rural areas.
/. Girls of marriageable age. The centre model ,s irregularly dressed in a woman's apron and

2. Something old, something new cope, poriaan and shield.

5 ^kobele men will wear bead work.

CRAFNIDRK

The South Ndebele are beyond doubt one of southern Africa's most creative peoples, They are natural artists, and there can be few families, if any, which do not have a member or two who exercise their skills in mural painting or - equally important - in beadwork, mat-making and the like.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
To satisfy my curiosity about certain beadworking techniques, I engaged an Ndebele woman, Lettie Masilela, to make a full set of rholwoni for arms, legs and neck, so that I could follow the procedures involved. The exercise yielded some in-leresting information which I mighr otherwise never have gained. Firstly, she needed a specific type of grass which was 'ripe` (dry) only at a particular time of the year and available in certain areas, and some strong cotton.
Next, she wound the grasses into a firm hoop and bound it with cotton, following this up by threading strings of beads - one little glass bead at a time. She then wound the beads onto the hoop. When she had completed the hoops, she announced that she would have to take them back home, where they had a big pot `to boil them in'. She asked for two kilograms of sugar to put in the water 'to harden the band and set it like a rock inside'. When she returned with the hoops two days later, they felt extremely heavy. But still the process was not over. She asked for a tin of syrup to paint over the

beads, to bind them together and to the gross. She then put them out in the sun for two days, continually turning them to face the heat, thus ensuring that the syrup penetrated deeply Next, she asked for washing powder in order to remove the surface syrup.
The greatest surprise of all came once she had 'completed' the big neck bond. She asked for a hacksaw, some thin nails and strong, thin, blue cord and a hammer. She explained that modern Ndebele girls went to school, and could not bend over their desks in these neck-pieces, Consequently, they needed to remove them for the purpose of studying. She knocked two rows of nails across the depth of the hoop and sawed through between them. With a hand on each side of the cut, and a fine display of strength, she then forced the rhoiwani open and onto her neck. She panted '-fits nicely but you'll have to lace it up with that blue cord, I can't semthere!'[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
Basket weaving is another, perhaps less prominent, art of the Nclebele; and one which is losing popularity, as food is usually obtained already in containers.
1. Preparation of materials for rholwani
2. Stage one o,urhnlwqn
3, A modern removable neckbond 4 Bead-workers at Botshobelo
5. Leoe Mosilela adding to her regalia
& stick 7 A sorghum basket in the moking

Like their painting, Ndebele beadwork has become an integral part of their culture, and, while fashions have changed overthe years, it has always provided the eye with vibrant and exciting designs.
The mid-1970s was a period during which some particularly exciting work was done. Designs using white beads with the odd coloured bead - subtly placed - were popular. They made very beautiful pieces. Since then, a trend towards more sombre colours - dark-blues, purples, greens and black - has emerged and is still current.
One of the more popular pieces of beadwork is the small, beaded doll known as the 'uphopi'. Despite numerous enquiries among the Ndebele, I have never fully satisfied myself as to the significance of these dolls. Although popularly described as a fertility doll by white people, the doll is also quoted as being a little girl's toy, and mothers say that their daughters 'will never go to sleep without it'.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
Dancing sticks are another favourite; all South Africa's rural tribespeople love dancing with sticks, and the Ndebele are no exception. The sticks are often made as gifts, which are given to the bride's fatherin-law by the bride during a wedding ceremony, and may be used to decorate a home as well as for dancing. A style of dancing stick sometimes seen is made in the form of a telegraph pole and decorated with beads.
Perhaps the main reason for the encroachment of western civilization on the lifestyle of the South Ndebele is the fact that the western economic system has been more or less forced on the tribespeople of South Africa, and, consequently, many of them have moved to the cities. The maintenance of tribal customs in this environment relies heavily on the ingenuity

of the people. An unusual blue and white dancing stick of reeds was given to me by an old lady, Lena, who lived in the black township of Mamelodi, Pretoria. She told me that, when the young Ndebele men in the township came out of their initiation ritual, all the mothers danced 'just as they do in the country', but that their sticks were improvised because they had very few traditional beadwork pieces in town,
This, of course, leads to a question all of its own: what is the future of Ndebele art? It would indeed be sad if it were to phase itself out, as these people display so much natural artistic flair and originality Not least among the factors threatening the survival of their art is the steeply rising cost of beads - most of which are imported. Nevertheless, down the generations they have adapted to changes in circumstances - quite ingeniously at times. Recently, a new and most attractive trend in beadwork has developed: necklaces made from seeds and natural plant material. Such is the ingenuity of the Ndebele that they are now also making floor mats from coils of grass artistically covered with different-coloured plastic from used shopping bags. They see art in everything, and, I believe, have the will to find new ways of expression![ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
1. Uphopi
2. A simple, yet beautiful, neckpiece 3. Seeds, a clever substitute for beads 4. Beaded gourds
5 A modern innovation, grass mats entwined with plastic
6. Gourds have many purposes. 7 Five-panelled apron
8. Hundreds of thousands of beads 9. An ancient piece of beadwork 10, Dancing sticks
11. Dancing stick made of reeds

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For the invaluable contribution they have have made to this book, I would like to thank:
the ma bele people who so cheerfully co-operated with me in both my photographic and
research in particular, Richard Sibiya, Lettie Masilela, Tryphina Mahlangu and Esther Mahlangu;
the South Ndebele Open Air Museum at Botshabelo, Middelburg, for all their assistance; Mr. Christo van Vuuren for sharing his expert knowledge on the development phases of Ndebele homebuilding;
the MacGregor Museum for their co-operation;
my wife, Irma, for her patient help with typing.[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
Struik Publishers (an operating division of The Struik Group (Pty) Ltd) Struik House
Oswald Pirow Street
Foreshore
Cape Town
8001
Reg. No.: 80/02842/07
First published 1989
Text and photographs Aubrey Elliott, 1989
Designed by Janine Poezyn
Photoset by Studiographix c,c., Cape Town
Reproduction by Unifoto (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town
Printed and bound by Leefung-Asco Printers (Pry) Ltd, Hong Kong
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright owners.

ISBN 0 86977 798 X[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]
Opposite. A photograph taken in a village near Pretoria in the early 1960s. The two sticks in the headband are in imitation of the store-keepers' habit of putting pencils behind their ears.

More than 60 full-colour photographs depicting the spectacular art of the South Ndebele tribe, and their rapidly vanishing traditional life style.

ISBN 0-86977-798[ 南非故事 Cooltang.com ]