Unomgcana.

https://babalorozani.blogspot.com/2019/09/unomgcana.html

Unomgcana: 

Figure 1 - Unomgcana (a newly married man) on his wedding day (reference)

Unomgcana is the last stage of a Xhosa man milestones I will be discussing. This is a married man between the age of 35 - 50 years. It is the stage where he has taken a wife and built a homestead. His main roles are to protect and provide.

I will be looking at his attire which signifies the status of his manhood and the significant role it plays as a married man. Traditionally he would wear a collection of over 75 pieces on his wedding day (see Figure 1), each with a specific name (Broster 1967) eg. Isivalo, idiliza, isiyeye, inkciyo, ithumbu, vulwakabini, isigcina, inqhonqo and umgcebo. Some of these he would wear every day, such as the vulwakabini which has significant colour combinations, tie like with triangular patterns on it and (ingqosha) the big necklace underneath the tie necklace (see figure 2). I want to use these colours and patterns as a reference for designing my own jewellery.

Figure 2 - a married man on his every day look wearing Vulwakabini, the tie necklace and underneath ingqosha necklace.