loveletter, (4 x 5cm)
Arguably, of all Southern African bead work, the artistry of the Fingo people of the Eastern Cape is the most beautiful.
The amaMfengu/Fingo are a subtribe of the Xhosa people and according to oral history originated from groups of Nguni people fleeing the disruption of Zulu wars, known as the mfecane (crushing) between roughly 1816-40.
Located initially in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, they were cattle herders and farmers but have subsequently become urbanised around Cape Town.
Between the 1920s and 1990s the young girls and women produced an extraordinary body of bead work and garments characterized by exceptional craftsmanship and wonderful designs. These were worn by both genders.
An illustration of a Mfengu woman, by Barbara Tyrell
Beadwork and garment styles were influenced by the Xhosa people, but the design combinations were unique to the amaMfengu, tempered by a masterful understanding of colour, balance and proportion. Bead colours were: black, white, light and dark blue, pink and maroon red.
Creations sometimes included long floating strands of beads, imparting a movement and visual lightness to the figure, or alternately massing large amounts of beads together for impact.
However, what distinguishes their work from others, is also the assimilation of alternate materials:
Strips of bovine or animal skin introduce an element of texture and hark back to traditional concepts of symbolic protection.
Small mother of pearl buttons, used extensively, add a recurring circular motif and invigorate the bead work with a shiny surface, reflecting light.
skirt, Mfengu people Eastern Cape
Buttons in some cases are tightly consolidated into linear rows or clusters. Others are placed at intervals between beads and might appear as the nexus points of an invisible grid, imparting a classical stability to each piece. These are read as a design in both horizontal and vertical ways, by viewers.
Other buttons are placed linked with white stitching on black head scarfs to appear like stars, or flowers with beautiful effect.
headscarf, amaMfingo people, Eastern Cape
Buttons were first collected from the 1820 European settlers and passed down by inheritance or by recycling old garments. Trading stores supplied the balance of the beads, buttons, fabric and woollen blankets used in the manufacture of a specific array of garments.
anklet, amaMfengu people Eastern Cape
Blankets were dyed with oxide to specific shades of reddish-brown and worn to distinguish and identify particular clans and families. Women made a variety of commercial white cotton and wool fabric into flared skirts, dyed and decorated. The contrast of the beading and buttons against the monochrome garments is nothing short of spectacular.
Tips for enthusiasts:
Some of the designs on men’s blankets may have been influenced by the San people (Please see blog on: Beads and Beadwork of the San people, part 2. Posted on Nov. 4. 2016.)
Examples of amaMfengu beadwork can be seen in most South African Museums, but especially those in Cape Town. View this spectacular bead work on line for an idea of how pieces were once worn. ©
