Zulu Love Letter

 

Zulu love letter Neckpiece

Before letters and cellphones, Zulu women used colours and beadwork to express emotions and convey messages about gender and marital status. The traditional Zulu beadwork lies the triangle, where each corner embodies Father, Mother, and Child, representing the gender and marital status. An upward-pointing tip signifies an unmarried girl, a downward one represents an unmarried boy, while the fusion of two triangles creates a diamond, symbolizing a married woman. Similarly, when triangle tips converge to form an hourglass, it signifies a married man.

The way colors are combined dictates the message's positivity or negativity. Black and white together symbolize marriage, while red next to black implies heartache. A love letter's black and red triangle on white conveys deep love, the desire for marriage, and a request for lobola payment. Blue and white denote fidelity, while yellow, red, and black suggest fear of a deteriorating relationship.