Attribution Incomplete Notice
Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Open to Collaborate Notice
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Traditional Knowledge Notice
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Artwork Details
Culture
Creation Date
Materials
Object Types
Dimensions
1/2 x 1-7/8 (diam.) in.
Accession Number
Credit Line
General Memorial Art Fund
Copyright
Collection
Color Palette
Provenance
Wenombenga Gabuza, of the clan Sitezi;[1] obtained by Petronella Khumalo, near Msinga. African Art Center, South Africa; (Axis Gallery, West Orange, New Jersey) in 2003; purchased by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Indianapolis, Indiana in 2007. [1] 1940s field data, probably obtained in oral interview
Gallery Labels
In former times an ear piercing ceremony was performed on every child before puberty. The earlobe was pierced with a sharp piece of iron. Pieces of corn stalk were placed in the holes, and as the ear healed larger and larger pieces were put into the hole until it was large enough to accommodate earplugs.
The distended earlobes were adorned in early times with circular plugs of wood, sometimes decorated with metal studs. From about 1950 to 1970 pieces of synthetic floor covering were applied in mosaic fashion to one or both sides of the earplugs. The colors relate to those of traditional Zulu beadwork, and some color combinations may indicate clan affiliation or other aspects of an individual.
The long standing Zulu practice of wearing earplugs is associated with both men and women. Today, people increasingly relate the stretching of earlobes with a lack of sophistication, and the wearing of earplugs is falling out of fashion.
More from the Collection
Content Disclaimer and Usage Rights
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
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