The Pill version

For the pill version I wanted to explore the perspective of the bride/umakoti. The reason why I chose to use pills is that they usually represent some sort of relief from pain and felt that it would be an interesting concept to play around with as she too is seeking relief. 

Figure 1: Ndongeni, S (2019). Pill version, earrings and pendant. 

I had therefore decide to use actual pills which were then set inside these wire elements, which could also be an indicator of how she feels void of what she is meant to have and the only solution she is able to find inside her is ending her life. I tried to romanticize the idea of suicide with these pieces as I wanted to give the idea that she is drawn into this belief that the afterlife will give her peace; hence the silver. 

Inspiration

The Living Grave Series is a commentary based on miscarriage narratives. As previously stated, 10 to 25 percent of documented pregnancies result in a miscarriages, and this number is even higher when it comes to younger girls, predominately in cases of child marriages.

Figure 1: Ndongeni, S (2019).  The Living Grave Series. Beaded neckpiece. 

Due to the sensitivity of the subject, I have decided to reply mainly on the Series title as a director for the viewer, similarly to the narrative design principles expressed by Metcalf and adopted by Byrne.  I have listed below my design outputs.

a. Fold-formed version
b. Beaded version

Fairy tale concepts

With my theme idea starting to mould itself into a concept, I have decided to play around with the output method of my narrative. 

So I started off by looking at some Disney princess and prince cartoons. The reasoning behind this is that I want to breakdown the idea that, this is one of the first marriage, love and wedding idea that females come across. Basically the first seed which little girls are planted with. I was fairly selective with these and chose to use silhouettes as if to suggest that the idea is introduced to you, but you add the details to the image as you grow in life.  

As seen in the picture above, I went to the cut out these pictures and then placed them onto domed brass plates. I then went on to pierce these out< as seen in the picture below. 

Ndongeni, S (2016). Fairy tale 

From here, I will see what more I can do to grow the idea. 

• Clay play experiment 

Ukuthwala-(bridal abduction)

Figure 1 James, A. Bachelors stage a kidnapping.  [ONLINE]

The bridal practice of ukuthwala (bridal abduction), has formed part of many South African native cultural groups, and has still remained as a cultural marriage practice in several places within the Eastern Cape (Froko, S. M. 2016). As the Eastern Cape is predominately a Xhosa populated part of the country, the report will be exploring this practice through the Xhosa culture. There are not many positives when it comes to the practice of bridal kidnapping, therefore this report will instead introduce the historical justification for the practice.

1. Historical bases

It is believed that the practice of ukuthwala in South Africa originated with the Xhosa people (Mwambene & Sloth-nielsen, 2011). Initially the practice came about in cases when either the girl’s family or both families, would be against a marriage or would not come into agreement with labola, and then the couple would stage this abduction, in order to force their  families to allow the marriage to take place.

Although not inherently a form of an abusive abduction, it has mutated into a form of marriage which results in abuse, violence and in many unfortunate cases resulted in rape. Traditionally the practice may be conducted in one of two ways; there are cases where the girl’s family has consented to the marriage and the abduction of their daughter. In this case, the two families have met without consulting the girl in question and have even concluded with the lobola negotiations in most of these cases. Then the two families for whatever the reasons may  be agreed to a specific date on which this abduction would take place (Modisaotsile, 2013).

2. Negatives

In a paper written by Nomusa Mphanga (Maphanga, 2011), one of the drawbacks of the custom of ukuthwala was that men soon abducted the young girls as a result of a spiteful kind of love. The aim was no longer to preserve a custom, nor was it a sign of respect for either the young woman nor their families, it was all about breaking her virginity in order to force the family to permit the marriage.

The sad reality of our society is that a woman is judged more harshly than a man; to the extent that even in cases when she has been violated she is forced to either hide what has taken place or bare the stone of society. Until the recent events which have transpired in our country, it was easy to get away with rape. However now, women have had enough and have learned to voice out their frustration, nonetheless this was not always the case.

When the custom of ukuthwala began to become distorted, it forced the woman, the young girl to not just suffer the pain of rape, but to be sentenced to a life with her rapist all in the name of persevering the dignity he had stripped away from her (Maphanga, 2011; South African Abductions: young girls forced into marriage, n.d.).

The practice of ukuthwala has now become an illegal practice within South Africa and many countries throughout the world. There were cases where the man’s family are in agreement and have not met with either the young girl nor her family and simply decide to ambush her at their earliest convenience, to then inform the girl’s family once they have kidnapped her of what they have done.

 No matter what the circumstance is, when the girl is unaware of this sort of marriage, it may be traumatic for her, as she is taken against her will and then forced to become a wife to someone she may not even know, and at times a man who is 15 to 40 years her senior.

The bridal practice of ukuthwala (bridal abduction), has formed part of many South African native cultural groups, and has still remained as a cultural marriage practice in several places within the Eastern Cape. As the Eastern Cape is predominately a Xhosa populated part of the country, I will be exploring this practice through the Xhosa culture.
Although the practice of bridal abduction is a worldwide issue, it is however believed that the practice of ukuthwala in South Africa originated with the Xhosa people. (Mwambene & Sloth-nielsen, 2011) Initially the practice came about in cases when the either the girl’s family or both families, would be against a marriage or would not come into agreement with labola, and then the couple would stage this abduction, in order to force their  families to allow the marriage to take place.

Although not inherently a form of an abusive abduction, it has mutated into a form of marriage which results in abuse, violence and in many unfortunate cases resulted in rape. Traditionally the practice may be conducted in one of two ways, there are cases where the girl’s family has consented to the marriage and the abduction of their daughter. In this case, the two families have met without consulting the girl in question and have even concluded with the labola negotiations in most of these cases. Then the two families for whatever the reasons may be agree to a specific date on which this abduction would take place. (Modisaotsile, 2013)

While the other painful case, which has become illegal, is where the man’s family are in agreement and have not met with either the young girl nor her family and simply decide to ambush her at their earliest convenience, to then inform the girl’s family once they have kidnapped her of what they have done.

 No matter what the circumstance is, when the girl is unaware of this sort of marriage, it may be traumatic for her, as she is taken against her will and then forced to become a wife to someone she may not even know, and at times a man who is 15 to 40 years her senior

The Evolution of a Queen

In an earlier post I had written, I had posted about an item of jewellery worn by a Game of Thrones character (see link https://jewellersbride.blogspot.com/2019/06/daenerys-targaryen.html?m=1)
I came across this video which gives a brief flash of how this character once exchanged by her brother for personal gain, decided she would not be defeated by the life circumstances of her marriage, but instead rose to be a loved Queen.

I guess this is an example of when a person refuses to allow life to defeat them.