OUR COLLECTION — AFRICA — SOUTH AFRICA 20. ZULU BEADED DOLL NATIVITY
This Nativity contains a village of African figures adorned in intricate bead patterns and cloth fabrics. Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in a manger are made by Zulu women in a co-op in Kwa Zulu, Zululand in eastern South Africa. This set includes angels, village midwifes, matrons, children, and 44 wise men with dreadlocks. The set also includes beaded giraffes, elephants, and zebras. Mary and Joseph stand 6 inches tall. The giraffes stand 12 inches tall.
The beaded Zulu animals are made by illiterate, HIV-positive Zulu women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Rural areas of South Africa such as KwaZulu-Natal have the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS. The animals are hand-carved from hard wood and then covered in a very complex web of beads (strung on thread) in traditional Ndebele designs. The income from the animals helps these women care for their children and afford medical care to deal with their debilitating disease.
A card included with the original Holy Family reads, “Missionaries of various denominations arrived in Zululand during the early days of white settlement, introducing Christianity to the Zulu people. Today, amongst other popular religious denominations in Zululand, is the Zionist Church, which is a separatist church that blends traditional African and Christian beliefs and rituals, producing a new religious form adapted to African needs.
“Many small self-help projects have developed in recent years in order to uplift the Zulu women and help to supplement their incomes, whilst they are able to remain at home, continuing to tend their children as well as household and traditional chores.
“One such self-help group is Kwa Zigi Gimi, situated in Northern KwaZulu. This area borders on Swaziland and Mozambique to the North, and the Indian Ocean to the East. The Zulu ladies of Kwa Zigi Gimi specialize in handmaking beaded dolls, and from the traditional fertility dolls to Sangoma dolls, they have expanded their art-form to include these Nativity dolls, representing Mary (Maria), Joseph (Josefa), and baby Jesus (Jesu).
“A Zulu family thanks you for purchasing this Nativity set, which will help them enjoy a better Christmas this year, and hope that you will enjoy their handwork for many years to come.”
The beaded Zulu animals are made by illiterate, HIV-positive Zulu women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Rural areas of South Africa such as KwaZulu-Natal have the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS. The animals are hand-carved from hard wood and then covered in a very complex web of beads (strung on thread) in traditional Ndebele designs. The income from the animals helps these women care for their children and afford medical care to deal with their debilitating disease.
A card included with the original Holy Family reads, “Missionaries of various denominations arrived in Zululand during the early days of white settlement, introducing Christianity to the Zulu people. Today, amongst other popular religious denominations in Zululand, is the Zionist Church, which is a separatist church that blends traditional African and Christian beliefs and rituals, producing a new religious form adapted to African needs.
“Many small self-help projects have developed in recent years in order to uplift the Zulu women and help to supplement their incomes, whilst they are able to remain at home, continuing to tend their children as well as household and traditional chores.
“One such self-help group is Kwa Zigi Gimi, situated in Northern KwaZulu. This area borders on Swaziland and Mozambique to the North, and the Indian Ocean to the East. The Zulu ladies of Kwa Zigi Gimi specialize in handmaking beaded dolls, and from the traditional fertility dolls to Sangoma dolls, they have expanded their art-form to include these Nativity dolls, representing Mary (Maria), Joseph (Josefa), and baby Jesus (Jesu).
“A Zulu family thanks you for purchasing this Nativity set, which will help them enjoy a better Christmas this year, and hope that you will enjoy their handwork for many years to come.”