earrings, men's. Circular disks, black, green, blue design on white and ivory ground, w/ decorative metal upholstery studs. d. 6 cm.
Donor:
Margot Winer and University Appropriation
Collection place:
Johannesburg, Gauteng province, Republic of South Africa
Verbatim coll. place:
Africa, South Africa, Johannesburg. Zulu.
Culture or time period:
Zulu
Collector:
Margot Winer
Collection date:
1990
Materials:
Metal and Wood (plant material)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Earrings (jewelry)
Function:
2.2 Personal Adornments and Accoutrements
Context of use:
Men's. The large disk clips onto the earlobe, whereas formerly the ear was pierced, the hole stretched, and a carved wooden plug of this diameter fitted into the hole. With increasing migration to the cities this piercing practice has generally fallen away and been replaced with clip-on earrings. (Collector's notes)