Isicholo Style

Isicholo is the Zulu word for a married woman's headdress, and these were worn traditionally to indicate their married status, especially at important social and cultural events. The Isicholo hats are very distinctive, hand woven from cotton or rope or vegetable fiber, dyed with ochre and covered over a basket frame. These may measure as much as a meter across and are often decorated with intricate beadwork. Making these hats is a time consuming and laborious task.

Beads are the pride of the Zulu nation. Zulu beadwork encompasses a symbolic language that may include reprimands and warnings, messages of love, and encouragement. Interpreting beadwork is much like understanding the Zulu language when one has mastered the grammar and acquired a reasonable vocabulary; but meaning is often obscured by the wealth of proverbs and imagery. This also applies to beadwork, which combines art and linguistic logic.