Kralen halssieraad

De sociale status van man en vrouw speelt een belangrijke rol in het dragen van kralenwerk. De soort kralen kleding en/of versiering zegt iets over leeftijd, huwelijkse staat en zelfs over het aantal bewonderaars dat iemand heeft. Aan dit halssieraad hangt een 'liefdesbrief'. Het patroon en kleurencombinatie kan beschouwd worden als een privé dialoog tussen de geliefden. Ongehuwde meisjes dragen kralen sieraden om hoofd en nek, lange kettingen over hun borsten, arm en been versieringen en vele middel- en heupbanden. Getrouwde vrouwen dragen minder kralenwerk. Mannen dragen gewoonlijk westerse kleding en alleen voor speciale gelegenheden doen ze hun kralenwerk om. Jonge, ongehuwde mannen vormen hierop een uitzondering, zij dragen vele kralen sieraden en met name de liefdesbrieven zijn zeer gewild. Deze werden gemaakt door jonge meisjes voor hun geliefden en hoe meer liefdesbrieven men droeg hoe populairder men was bij de meisjes. Vervaardiging De techniek van dit soort kralenwerk in rollen heet umbiho. Eerst wordt van textiel een stevige rol gedraaid. Daarna wordt er een kralensnoer strak omheen gewonden en op meerdere plaatsen vastgezet. Voor de kralensnoeren worden meerdere kleuren kralen aan een snoer geregen zodat er bij het winden patronen ontstaan. Onderaan het halssieraad is een rechthoekig lapje vastgemaakt van geregen kralenwerk. Carey (1986: 54) schrijft het volgende over de techniek van kralenwerk bij de Zulu: "Round beadwork in its varied manifestations is charistically Zulu. A roll, usually of cotton fabric 10 to 25 mm. in diameter is bound with thread to make a firm foundation. Beads are strung on to a continuous thread and wound onto the roll at right angles to it. Zulu bead rolls are usually patterned, wether in bands of colour, with white predominating, or in lozenges and triangles, calling for exact threading of bead colours. Such rolls ("umgingqo") form arm, neck, chest, waist or loin ornaments according to size and fasten at the ends, often with brass buttons. Zulu also use narrow (10 mm) rolls over half the circumference only. These are joined together; four to seven will make a loindress or belt, and as many as ten are used for an anklet, armlet or loindress panel. Beads are still strung on a continuous thread, but they cover the front of the rolls only, with thread alone showing at the back. Ornaments made of several linked half-beaded rolls are often made with a design of lozenges or triangles against a banded background, and the pattern extends over the whole article." The social status of men and women plays an important role in the wearing of beadwork. The type of beaded clothing and/or adornment says something about age, marital status and even the number of admirers someone has. A 'love letter' is attached to this necklace. The pattern and color combination can be considered a private dialogue between the lovers. \Unmarried girls wear beaded jewelry around their head and neck, long necklaces over their breasts, arm and leg decorations and many waist and hip bands. Married women wear less beadwork. \Men usually wear western clothes and only for special occasions do they put on their beadwork. Young, unmarried men are an exception to this, they wear many beaded jewels and love letters are particularly sought after. These were made by young girls for their lovers and the more love letters one wore the more popular one was with the girls.‖ The technique of this type of beadwork in rolls is called umbiho. First, a sturdy roll is made of textile. Then a string of beads is wound tightly around it and secured in several places. Several colours of beads are strung on a string so that patterns are created during the winding process. At the bottom of the necklace, a rectangular patch is attached of strung beadwork. \ÒCarey (1986: 54) writes the following about the technique of beadwork among the Zulu: \"Round beadwork in its varied manifestations is charistically Zulu. A roll, usually of cotton fabric 10 to 25 mm. in diameter is bound with thread to make a firm foundation. Beads are strung on to a continuous thread and wound onto the roll at right angles to it. Zulu bead rolls are usually patterned, wether in bands of colour, with white predominating, or in lozenges and triangles, calling for exact threading of bead colours. Zulu also use narrow (10 mm) rolls over half the circumference only. These are joined together; four to seven will make a loindress or belt, and as many as ten are used for an anklet, armlet or loindress panel. Beads are still strung on a continuous thread, but they cover the front of the rolls only, with thread alone showing at the back. \Ornaments made of several linked half-beaded rolls are often made with a design of lozenges or triangles against a banded background, and the pattern extends over the whole article.