Zululand Nativity

Zululand Nativity

Kwa Zigi Gimli

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Metallic beads, burlap, cotton, wood

2009, 2012

Today most Zulu people consider themselves to be Christian, but many blend their Christian beliefs with traditional African beliefs and rituals. The Zulu women of Kwa Zigi Gimli, a self-help group in northern Kwa Zulu-Natal, specialize in making beaded dolls, including fertility dolls and Sangoma (healer) dolls. Recently they have expanded their art form to include dolls representing figures from the Nativity story: Maria (Mary), Josefa (Joseph), and the baby Jesu (Jesus). This set includes an angel, a zebra, a giraffe, and a manger decorated with woodburning.