The Ndebele are among the smallest tribes in South Africa, but are easily the most colorful & distinctive. The women are the sole practitioners of Ndebele art, which represents a rich cultural heritage. Traditionally, these rural women do not read or write & beadwork is their only means of earning an income. The initiation doll is in the traditional dress of an Ndebele married woman, and is a gift from the mother to daughter after the latter has completed her initiation.
