Beadwork as language: love letters & hidden knowledge in Southern Africa

Beadwork in Southern Africa has often been described as a decorative craft — when really it’s a communication and information technology. Exploring the works of anthropologists and photographers, Jean Morris and Eleanor Preston-Whyte, we look at archival images and historical research from 20th-century Kwa-Zulu Natal that reveal beadwork as a system of communication: beaded love letters negotiating marriage, items of spirituality, currency and power, and sculptural beadworks that move into installation and fine art. 📚 Books referenced: [1] Speaking with Beads: Zulu Arts from Southern Africa by Jean Morris and Eleanor Preston-Whyte (1998) [2] Zulu Beadwork by Eleanor Preston-Whyte (2013) [3] Beadwork, Art and the Body edited by Anitra Nettleton [2015] If you’d like to see more detailed page walk-throughs and practical design reflections, I’ve created a companion discussion on Patreon. Become a Patreon member: https://patreon.com/khensani?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okbaddiek/ Substack: https://www.khensani.substack.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@okbaddiek