Necklace

Item number K5.63 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Description

Open net-like beaded band necklace with alternating rows of black, blue, and red beads. There is a single row of white beads on the top rim.

History Of Use

In Xhosa society, people are ranked in the social hierarchy in ten year increments, in addition to their sex. Young, uninitiated girls, and married or working women are identified by differing dress and adornment. Icanci are worn almost exclusively by older, married and highly-regarded women as both a fashion statement and a sign of status. These women work in mielie crop cultivation, and because these crops are deemed important to society the women tending to these crops are treated with admiration. The colour combination most admired is navy, black, and white.

Specific Techniques

Icanci are strung by women using an open weave and a scalloped edge threading technique called ukuhlahla. The open weave, sometimes called a “lazy stitch” by Xhosa beaders, links as many as twelve beads to a material other than the base. This allows for larger beaded pieces to be made more intricately with fewer beads.