Ceremonial train

Object Details

Ndebele artist

Label Text

The word nyoka literally means "snake." It refers to the physical appearance of the long, rectangular beaded panels that are identified with Ndebele brides, but it does not seem to imply anything snakelike about the garments' wearers. Unlike western bridal veils, these Ndebele creations were worn after the wedding on important occasions. There seems to have been quite a lot of variation on how they were worn: attached to a headpiece, draped from the shoulders as a cape, even worn down the front of the body.

Description

Long, rectangular panel of large white beads with three sections of multi-colored geometric motifs with black, purple and green dominant.

Provenance

Norman and Susan Priebatsch, collected Bronkhorstspruit area, -- to 1977

Chaim and Renee Gross, New York, 1978 to 1983

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

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Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Gross

Late 20th century

Object number

83-12-38

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Textile and Fiber Arts

Medium

Glass beads, plant fiber

Dimensions

H x W: 124.5 x 18.4 cm (49 x 7 1/4 in.)

Geography

South Africa

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

Object Name

nyoka

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Marriage

Adornment

Female use

geometric motif

male

Record ID

nmafa_83-12-38

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7bf5defc5-01e5-4b03-9dbe-879f88943352