Dimensions: H:39.4" W:10.6" L:7.9" Weight: 20.7 lbs.
Beaded Ndebele Dolls from South Africa - The Ndebele people of Southern Africa are well-known for their use of bold, colorful, geometric designs for their homes, beaded clothing and jewelry. The beaded Ndebele dolls are handmade by Ndebele women, symbolizing the different life stages of a woman and are intended to bring her good fortune in her various roles. The beadwork is so detailed and colorful as the clothing of the women that make them. Each Ndebele doll is unique and has a different meaning. For example, a fertility doll is given to a newly married woman to encourage fertility and also to bring luck. Or a ceremonial doll which is placed outside a young woman's hut by a young man who wants to marry her. The patterns from one doll to the next are different in style, pattern and color.
About the Tribe
Ndebele, also known as Transvaal Ndebele or (ama)Ndebele, are a Bantu-speaking African people who live primarily in the South African provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng. The Ndebele people are divided into three groups: Southern, Northern, and the Ndebele of Zimbabwe. The Ndebele people of South Africa trace their ancestry back to Chief Muzi, who migrated his tribe around 400 years ago from what is now KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng, both of which are South African provinces. The isiNdebele language is part of the Nguni language.