Kralen gordel met schaamschort

Een ruime hoeveelheid met kralenwerk gedecoreerde kledingstukken begeleid een meisje van haar kindertijd tot aan het vrouw zijn. Zo zal de lengte van haar schort worden aangepast naarmate ze ouder wordt (kort als kind, lang als volwassen vrouw). 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. 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 Eerst wordt van textiel een stevige rol gedraaid. Daarna wordt er een glaskralensnoer 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. Drie van deze rollen zijn vervolgens tot een gordel aaneen genaaid. Onder aan de gordel is een schortje genaaid van geregen glaskralenwerk. 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." An ample amount of beadwork decorated garments accompany a girl from childhood to womanhood. For example, the length of her apron will be adjusted as she grows older (short as a child, long as an adult woman). \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 a person has.‖ Unmarried girls wear beaded jewelry around their heads and necks, long necklaces over their breasts, arm and leg adornments, 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.‖ First, a sturdy roll is turned from textile. Then a string of glass beads is wound tightly around it and secured at several places. For the bead necklaces, multiple colors of beads are strung on a string to create patterns as they are wound. Three of these rolls are then sewn together to form a belt. At the bottom of the belt, an apron is sewn of strung glass beadwork.‖Carey (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.