Xhosa Wedding Veil, South Africa, Framed

A bride wore her beadwork the way other people carry a letter. Everyone could read it.

In Xhosa tradition of South Africa, color and pattern speak of age, status and life events, and a bride’s adornment marked her passage into marriage. This veil, made in the 20th century, is a curtain of white bead strands hung from a cloth band, tipped and edged in deep blue. Red and blue zigzags cross it. A central braided strand of turquoise and orange carries small beaded panels of figural and geometric motifs. Orange cords and little buttons accent the top.

It is mounted on cream linen in a clear acrylic case. Quietly dazzling.