The Zulu and their neighbors often wore beadwork in ensembles, with overlapping pieces that sometimes hung in several layers. The fine set of women’s garb presented here illustrates the vivid display of such combinations. Beaded in a beautiful palette of pink, black, and green with white delineations, the alternating patterns used provide an exciting theme of contrast and an impression of vigorous energy. The set is mounted on an original late 19th/early 20th century frame. Inscribed in ink on the back of the frame is a description reading “Zulu Ladies Dress, Zululand 1891, G.W. Maunsell.” An old typed label is also present, inscribed “Mrs. Gell, O.B.E., Hopton Hall, Wirksworth, Derbyshire.”

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This group of beadwork was collected in South Africa in 1881 by Colonel George William Maunsell while fighting in the First Boer War. A career soldier and officer in the British Army, Maunsell served in numerous campaigns in South Africa, Egypt, and Sudan, and in the First World War. He held various appointments throughout the years, including Justice of the Peace for London and the title of Companion in the Order of St. Michael and St. George. Apart from his military exploits, he is best remembered for his authorship of The Fisherman’s Vade Mecum.