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A beginner’s guide to Zulu beadwork colours and meanings
Good decor does not need to be loud. A woven basket, a ceramic bowl and a leather strap can make a room feel calm and settled. Below are five local makers whose work we keep coming back to. Each one favours natural materials and simple shapes.
We chose them for their care and their patience. Their pieces age well, and they are made to be used every day. Read on to find your favourite.
5. Ubuhle Beads: Bold Zulu Beadwork
Natural materials sit well together. Clay, grass, leather and wood all carry their own texture, and they soften a room without any fuss.
Pick two or three textures and repeat them around the room.
A bowl on a shelf, a basket by the door and a leather cushion cover are enough to start. Add pieces slowly and let the room settle.
Umgeni Clayworks makes bowls, mugs and vases on a small studio wheel outside Pietermaritzburg. Every pot is thrown by hand, glazed in earthy colours and fired in a gas kiln. The glazes are food safe and the shapes are made for daily use. Pieces are simple, sturdy and a pleasure to hold.
4. Umgeni Clayworks Hand Ceramics
Msunduzi Leather Co cuts and stitches every belt, wallet and bag by hand. The leather is vegetable tanned, so it softens and darkens with use. A good belt from them will outlast several cheap ones, and the stitching can be repaired if it ever gives.
The workshop is small and the orders are made in batches. Expect a short wait, and a product that is worth it. Ask about a monogram if you want a gift to feel personal.
A good handmade piece does not shout. It earns its place on the shelf through the care in every stitch, bead and glaze, and it only gets better with time and use.
Umgeni Clayworks makes bowls, mugs and vases on a small studio wheel outside Pietermaritzburg. Every pot is thrown by hand, glazed in earthy colours and fired in a gas kiln. The glazes are food safe and the shapes are made for daily use. Pieces are simple, sturdy and a pleasure to hold.
3. Inanda Weavers Baskets
Hilton Soap Kitchen makes small batches of goat's milk and charcoal soap. The bars are cut by hand, left to cure for weeks and wrapped in plain paper. They are gentle on the skin and smell lovely without being heavy.
Every bar is labelled with the date it was made and the herbs used.
Keep the soap on a draining dish so it lasts longer. A bar will see you through a month or more of daily washing, and it leaves no plastic behind.
Umgeni Clayworks makes bowls, mugs and vases on a small studio wheel outside Pietermaritzburg. Every pot is thrown by hand, glazed in earthy colours and fired in a gas kiln. The glazes are food safe and the shapes are made for daily use. Pieces are simple, sturdy and a pleasure to hold.
2. Msunduzi Leather Co: Belts and Bags
Little Knots Studio makes soft toys and nursery pieces from natural cotton and wool. Each bear, bunny and cushion is knitted or stitched by hand in Howick. The toys are made to be loved and washed, and the stitching is strong enough for small, busy hands. Cool water and a mild soap work best.
A good handmade piece does not shout. It earns its place on the shelf through the care in every stitch, bead and glaze, and it only gets better with time and use.
Handmade things take time, and that is part of their charm. When you buy from a local maker, you support a family, a workshop and a craft passed down for generations.
Umgeni Clayworks makes bowls, mugs and vases on a small studio wheel outside Pietermaritzburg. Every pot is thrown by hand, glazed in earthy colours and fired in a gas kiln. The glazes are food safe and the shapes are made for daily use. Pieces are simple, sturdy and a pleasure to hold.
1. Hilton Soap Kitchen
There is a simple reason we stock only local work. We know the makers, we have seen the workshops and we trust the materials. When something goes wrong, we can walk down the road and sort it out in person.
Handmade is not about perfect. It is about care, and you can feel it the moment you pick a piece up. Look at the stitching, the glaze and the edges.
Start with one piece you will use every day. A mug, a belt or a basket by the door is enough. Come and see the full range at our shop in Church Street, Pietermaritzburg.
