Click image to view full screen
Neckpiece with panel (umphapheni)
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
Consisting of a tasseled length attached to a rectangular panel joined by metal buttons, this neckpiece (<em>umphapheni</em>) was likely worn along with waistbands and headpieces with the same color scheme and patterns. Joined together using stitches and zig-zag patterns popular around the turn of the 20th century, glass beadwork was heavy to wear. The fringe—typical of Zulu-style Northern Nguni beadwork—added additional weight. The imported glass beads testify to centuries of trade connections between southern Africa and Europe, while the brass buttons—probably drawn from a British soldier’s uniform—allude to the Anglo-Zulu conflicts of the 1800s.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Northern Nguni (Zulu)-style maker |
|---|---|
| Date | 1800s–1900s |
| Culture / Origin | Africa, Southern African, South Africa, Southeast Cape Region, Northern Nguni (Zulu)-style maker |
| Medium | Glass beads, plant fiber, copper alloy, and iron |
| Dimensions | Overall: 68.6 cm (27 in.) |
| Department | African Art |
| Type | Jewelry |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
