South Africa, Zulu Man with Earplug,19th Century

South Africa, Zulu Man with Earplug,19th Century

Zulu of Natal. Ear piercing was an important ceremony performed on every Zulu child before puberty. The hole in the earlobe had to be stretched considerably over a period of time to accommodate these large earplugs. The colors of the earplugs could be used to indicate the domicile of origin and also clan affiliation of their owners, and certain color combinations evoked associations with stages in the cycle of life. Most importantly, the earplugs identified the wearer as being Zulu. The Zulu are a Bantu ethnic group of Southern Africa. Image taken from page 884: La Terra, trattato popolare di geografia universale by Giovanni Marinelli, Professor of Geography at Padua, 1898.

Album / Science Source / British Library

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26.9 x 38.1 cm | 10.6 x 15.0 in (300 dpi)