Shweshwe, the fabric of SA’s turbulent history
Slaves, soldiers, Khoi-San, settlers, Voortrekkers, pioneers and trekboers all wore isishweshwe, and gave it different names
The various incarnations of isishweshwe — Zulu for "blueprint cloth" — help us to understand SA’s history and culture, and its earliest trading with Europeans. Smell, taste and touch are all engaged in the authentication of isishweshwe fabric by discerning buyers. It is salty to the taste, starchy to the touch and has a distinctive smell. A great deal of information can be gleaned about people from reading their attire: their financial status, fashion consciousness and gender alignment. In 2013 an exhibition curated by Wieke van Delen and Juliette Leeb-du Toit and titled The isishweshwe Story: Material Woman? was appropriately held at the Iziko Slave Lodge. Many slaves and First People in SA were forced to cover their nakedness with the cloth of missionaries and colonialists in accordance with the religious dictates and morés of Europe. Leeb-du Toit, an academic and the author of isishweshwe: A History of the Indigenisation of Blueprint in Southern Africa, unpacks the fabric’s compl...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.