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re: Africa

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From: The Colliers (atla_at_TeacherArtExchange)
Date: Wed Jan 09 2002 - 00:51:46 PST

To Shar and any others who may be interested

I just got back from attending an arts festival in Cape Town, so my
apologies for not getting back to you sooner.

I live in Kwa Zulu Natal, on the eastern seaboard of South Africa. As
you can see from the name of the province, the predominant tribe of the
area is the Zulu.Of all the tribes in Southern Africa the Zulu people
have the richest heritage in arts and crafts. Their beadwork and
traditional functional household artefacts are sought after by serious
collectors of such things.

One of the questions I get asked with monotonous regularity is wether
the Zulus make masks. This is completely unknown to them. As they were
traditionally semi-nomadic, only things that had a direct function were
made. As masks can be heavy and cimbersome to transport, this never
developed. For the same reason, no textiles were ever developed. The
wealth of a Zulu was measured in cattle and children (in that order).
The cattle provided meat for important occasions, milk for daily use as
well as the skins required for keeping warm if and when the need arose.

Have a look at my website for mare contempory crafts.
www.sizanacraft.co.za

If you want more info, please feel free to contact me

Tracey Collier in Durban, South Africa