Ndebele Tshogholo or Married Woman's Apron

White beads by the thousand, and a house at the center, gabled and proudly drawn.

This tshogholo or married woman's apron is Ndebele, from South Africa, 20th century, of glass beads on leather. Ndebele women's beadwork spoke publicly about the wearer's stage in life, and this five-paneled apron form is generally associated with married women, who wore it on important occasions. Rows of white beads cover the hide. A central panel in blue, black, green and pink shows a building with pointed roofs, echoing the painted architecture of Ndebele homes. The lower edge divides into five rounded tabs. Twenty-five and a quarter inches long and twenty-one wide.

Some résumés are worn.