Pictures Done in Watercolor and Inks /Zulu Golden Lady

by TheArthur Wright

The elegance of Nandi, Queen Mother of the Zulus in Shaka's time, as well as the mother of the great Zulu king, was typified by this magnificent ceremonial masterpiece adorned by brilliant feathers and beads and shells. Doubtless some of these adornments were the type and style worn only by royalty during that time while others could be worn by anyone. I plead ignorant to the meaning of these trappings but, quite simply, I was taken by the sheer overall beauty of the regal attire. While the lady in this painting is obviously not the Nandi who was the mother of one of Afiica's mightiest kings, the dress she is wearing is like that of the Zulu queen worn at her son's inauguration as depicted in the movie series, 'Shaka Zulu', and it shows the beauty and majesty, and even the power, that was inherent in the Zulu dressing styles of that time. Behold!