Early zulu carvings. Zulu art. Warrior and maiden wearing old traditional attire. 54 cms tall

This pair of zulu carvings have some age to them.   The man is wearing an isiCoco - see note below and wearing ear plugs. The woman carrying the pot is an unmarried girl.  She is wearing a leather pleated skirt.   I believe these carvings are exceptional in that they depict clothing and styles worn before western garb was adopted and carvings were made in for sale to tourists.  I think he has lost the top of a spear on the stick he is holding.  Its a very old break.  The black and white shield pattern would show his regiment.

• isiCoco (plural: iziCoco): married Zulus headring made from binding a ring of fibre into the hair, coated in a mixture of charcoal and gum, and polished with beeswax. It was a common practice to shear part or all of the rest of the head to accentuate the presence of the isicoco - although this varied from one Zulu to the next, and shaving the hair not a required part of a warriors 'costume'.
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