Mae Festa 50 Years of Collecting Textiles - Peter Pap Oriental Rugs

AFRICA – Sub-Sahara
Mat (above)
3 rd Quarter 20 th Century
Ndebele People, Republic of South Africa
Reeds placed parallel to each other, and
bound with cotton yarn at twenty-one places
across its length, supplemented by twenty
shorter lengths, sixteen in the field, six of
those in a decorative wave form. Beadwork
panels sewn onto mat.
68 x 43 cm 25 x 19 in
The four separately created bead panels are sewn
down to the mat. Given the character of the beadwork
and the fragile nature of the mat itself, this item must
have ceremonial significance. At one point in the field,
the reeds are deliberately manipulated to produce a
band of openwork. This reflects the extensive openwork
in the white areas of the beadwork. Although white
and black predominate, color wins the day, with mid
and bright blue, dark green, clear and lime green,
clear and opaque yellow, clear and opaque orange,
and clear, colorless beads.
370
Apron for Unmarried Girl (Pepetu)
Mid-20 th Century
Ndebele People, Republic of South Africa
Beads sewn down with cotton yarn to
canvas backing in short strings of nine
to sixteen beads in length.
46 x 34 cm 19 x 13½ in
A mother creates one of these flat aprons for an
unmarried daughter who has undergone initiation,
and is thus of marriageable age. The abstract forms
represent a house, indicating the future of the girl,
married with a home of her own. White beads
predominate, to which are added pink, so popular
in the beadwork of South Africa, black, light blue,
mid and dark blue, opaque lime green and clear
dark green, clear gold, and clear red.