South Africa, Zulu Wood Earplugs with Red, Blue and White Vinyl Asbestos Mosaic Overlays
The custom of ear piercing was an important ceremony performed on every Zulu child before reaching puberty. As the pierce hole healed, larger and larger pieces were put into the hole until it was big enough for pieces of reed to be used. By the 1950s the advent of vinyl asbestos flooring materials inspired a fashion for much larger and more elaborately designed wood plugs. The vinyl was cut into geometrically designed patterns for overlaying the wood. These particular earplugs are distinguished with the patterns and colors attributed to the Msinga district of KwaZulu, near Johannesburg. Wearing ear plugs signified that an individual was of Zulu origins. Very similar examples are illustrated and discussed in "Africa: The Art of a Continent", Prestel, New York, 1999, p.219.
Period: South Africa, Zulu, c. Early 20th Century
Media: Wood
Dimensions: Diameter: 2 5/8"
$2,000
98038B
