African Zulu Ladies Painting

The Zulu ~ a proud nation with a world-renowned military past & a social hierarchy based on respect. These people, transformed into a mighty nation under the rule of the famous warrior-king “Shaka”. Zulu society is patriarchal, with clearly defined rules dictating the duties of members & governing the manners & behaviour of subordinates towards superiors, such as women towards men & younger towards elder. The role of women is subordinate & polygyny is the norm. Although traditionally inferior in status, women are not ill-treated & are cared for & respected in accordance with their status. Women also walk a respectful distance behind their husbands, with men passing on the left of each other to emphasize their weapon-wielding right hands. The display of respect is perhaps most evident at mealtimes, where sex, age & status are the criteria by which the seating arrangement is determined. Men sit to the right of the hut’s entrance, with the eldest or most important person seated furthest from the entrance, & women to the left. Men are served in order of their status, followed by the women & the children, with boys served before girls. The women serve the men & guests, kneeling when doing so to ensure that their heads are never above the heads of those who are more senior & important. The social etiquette is not limited to the display of respect towards those who are alive but also extends to the dead. The Zulu first acknowledge & thank their ancestors before beer-drinking begins. Traditional Dress ~ leopard skin is worn by royalty, indunas & chiefs. The higher their status the more leopard skins are worn. Single women wear only a short skirt made of grass or beaded cotton strings, while engaged women cover their breasts to indicate they are spoken for. Married women wear traditional hats & cover their bodies. The Homestead ~ a traditional Zulu homestead is a cluster of thatched beehive huts that are home to a married man & his family. The layout of an umuzi is the same throughout Zululand ~ the chief’s mother lives in the hut furthest from the entrance, the chief in a smaller hut to the right behind hers, the first wife in a hut to the left of the mother, the second wife in a hut to the right of the chief’s, the third wife to the left, & so on, alternating from side to side. Unmarried sons & daughters live to the right & left of the entrance respectively. The chief’s eldest son guards the entrance, allowing or denying others access. Beadwork, Pottery & Basket-weaving ~ the Zulu are known for their multi-hued, elaborate beadwork. Beads of certain colours are more coveted than others: red is most treasured, followed by blue, black & white, whilst yellow signifies wealth. Pots are made with pride & women will walk for kilometres to obtain the right clay. The clay is ground finely using a stone, kneaded with water to form a paste & then rolled into long, sausage-like strips which are spiralled on top of each other, smoothed & then fire baked using dry aloe leaves. Baskets are woven using split strips of dried grass & palm leaves. Colours are created by placing the grass strips in a brew of natural berry & root additives. Geometric patterns are created using these colours & the basic designs have meanings, for example, the zig-zag patterns represent the spears of Shaka. Traditional Fare ~ everyday meals are very simple comprising maize, pumpkin, sweet potato, vegetables & sorghum. Meat is a luxury & only eaten at important ceremonies. A favourite is thick & lumpy porridge known as “uphuthu” made from maize & eaten with curdled milk known as “amasi” & considered a delicacy. Sorghum beer, called “utshwala”, is brewed daily by the women & consists of water, malt, ground sorghum & maize. The mixture is cooked until thick, malt is added & the mixture is left to ferment for three to five days. The brew is then filtered through a grass sieve & the woman who prepares the brew is always first to drink it, to prove that it is not poisoned. The importance of respect also finds expression in the hospitable nature of the Zulu people & visitors will witness a show of respect called “siyakhuleka ikhaya”, which means “greeting the home”. Guests are offered sorghum beer as a welcoming gesture. To reject beer is to show great disrespect, effectively rejecting hospitality. Men (& only men) may burp or tap a foot to compliment the brew-mistress, thereby showing appreciation of the chief’s hospitality. Singing & Dancing ~ the Zulu are famous for their rich singing voices & rhythm. Zulu dancing is very energetic & performed only by unmarried girls & men each responding to the other by singing, clapping & whistling, whilst married women ululate as they watch the dancing. Men incorporate battle & hunting movements, wielding their shields & sticks & kicking the air to head-height & powerfully stamping the ground to make it vibrate. Drums & whistles create the unique African sound that accompanies dancing & singing.

Painting:Acrylic on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:59.1 W x 19.7 H x 1.6 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.