mapoto (apron)

unrecorded Ndebele artist, artist

mapoto (apron), late 1800s–1982

Where object was made: Dennilton, Transvaal province, Union of South Africa (present-day Mpumalanga province, South Africa)

Material/technique: leather; beading

Dimensions:
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 53 x 48 cm
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 18 7/8 x 20 7/8 in

Credit line: Gift of Reinhild Janzen

Accession number: 2007.0301

Not on display

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Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures

The Ndebele people of South Africa are well-known for bold graphic designs that decorate the exterior walls of their homes. The tradition of painting the exterior walls of the kraals, or small villages where the Ndebele live, developed during the 20th century. This custom arose partly as a means to establish a unique social identity after decades of living among fractured communities dispersed by the aftermath of the Boer Wars in the late 1800s.

The geometric patterns, symmetry, and colors of Ndebele beadworks are similar to mural art and communicated the wearer’s identity. In addition to identifying tribal and family lineage, Ndebele beadwork can also indicate a woman’s age, wealth and marital status. This selection of beadwork would have belonged to a married woman. For example, the small beaded panel, called a khomitshi, is worn over a leather cape as part of a bride’s ensemble, while the beaded dance wand, or dondolo, is carried by a bride and used during special occasions for the rest of her life.

Exhibition Label:
"Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures," Jul-2011, Nancy Mahaney
The Ndebele people of South Africa are well-known for bold graphic designs that decorate the exterior walls of their homes. The tradition of painting the exterior walls of the kraals, or small villages where the Ndebele live, developed during the 20th century. This custom arose partly as a means to establish a unique social identity after decades of living among fractured communities dispersed by the aftermath of the Boer Wars in the late 1800s.

Exhibition Label:
"For Life's Sake: Arts from Africa," Oct-1983, Reinhild Kauenhoven Janzen
Married status is also indicated by the less formal apron, called Mapoto. Its form is rectangular with knotted and beaded fringes separating the two rectangular panels on either side, but the bold, large-scale geometric designs vary with each beadworker's individual imagination.