The Process
Many of the Zulu art pieces are made from recycled materials like old telephone wire. Also some are made from natural sources like dried grass, charcoal, bark, mud and clay. When colouring the artwork as well as their clothing they use berries, roots and flowers. The process for weaving baskets is carried out by the women of the families.
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They start by collecting their weaving materials, most commonly the llala palm fronds. They then they pull them into strips, dye them and hang them out to dry. The natural wax that the palm fronds have makes them ideal for weaving watertight baskets.
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In the Zulu culture the making of the art is more of a need than a want as they will use everything they make. A lot of the Zulu crafts have geometric designs like zig zags and other shapes. When weaving baskets they simply dye the material they are using with whatever source is available to create the desired design. Some designs have different meanings therefore have different ways of being made. For example the marriage garments are traditionally made by the woman's family or friends and they use more of the thicker materials and darker dyes. Typically the bride to be will weave a larger sized basket for the ceremony. The baskets are used for the ceremonial beer and so for the baskets to be sealed the insides are coated in a crushed corn paste.
So that the Zulu culture is preserved the grandmother will teach her granddaughter how to weave. During these lessons she will tell stories of the Zulu history and about her family’s ancestry.
So that the Zulu culture is preserved the grandmother will teach her granddaughter how to weave. During these lessons she will tell stories of the Zulu history and about her family’s ancestry.