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Source Description
Elite Xhosa women once wore beaded garments like this on festive occasions. Made almost completely from imported Venetian or Bohemian glass beads, they were overt status symbols. Imported beads functioned as money for the Xhosa between circa 1770 and 1829. These garments’ female maker carefully selected beads of the highest quality, uniform in color, shape, and size. Made in the same shape as the pendant, a swallowtail-shaped apron (CMA 2010.206) worn under the skirt completed the ensemble.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
456947
label
Royal ceremonial headdress (umnqwazi)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
456947
contentType
object
title
Royal ceremonial headdress (umnqwazi)
description
Elite Xhosa women once wore beaded garments like this on festive occasions. Made almost completely from imported Venetian or Bohemian glass beads, they were overt status symbols. Imported beads functioned as money for the Xhosa between circa 1770 and 1829. These garments’ female maker carefully selected beads of the highest quality, uniform in color, shape, and size. Made in the same shape as the pendant, a swallowtail-shaped apron (CMA 2010.206) worn under the skirt completed the ensemble.
date
1800s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q117247287
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 64.1 x 27.6 cm (25 1/4 x 10 7/8 in.)
cul
Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southeast Cape Region, Unknown female Xhosa-style maker(s)
accession
2022.49.a
Source extras
tec
Glass beads, sinew, and hide
tombstone
Royal ceremonial headdress (umnqwazi), 1800s. Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southeast Cape Region, Unknown female Xhosa-style maker(s). Glass beads, sinew, and hide; overall: 64.1 x 27.6 cm (25 1/4 x 10 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Trust, 2022.49.a
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
The beads to make an ensemble like this cost several cattle in the early 1800s, an amount most couldn't afford.
citations
citation
Van Wyk, Gary. “Illuminated Signs. Style and Meaning in the Beadwork of the Xhosa- and Zulu-Speaking Peoples.” <em>African Arts</em> 36, no. 3 (2003): 12–94. Fig. 7a.
page_number
18
citation
Pemberton, John. <em>African Beaded Art: Power and Adornment</em>. Northampton, Mass: Smith College Museum of Art, 2008.
page_number
pp. 170–172
creditline
Severance and Greta Millikin Trust
updatedAt
2026-05-29 09:04:54.904000
sourceId
456947
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Glass beads, sinew, and hide
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
01c575f84f5cf3f6