Skirt (Isikhakha)

ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-principal attire (lower body)

Culture Xhosa

Culture Mfengu

Dateearly to mid 20th Century

Made AtSouth Africa

MediumCotton, glass, shell and pigment

Dimensions31 × 60 in. (78.7 × 152.4 cm)

Credit LineAnonymous Gift

Object number2016.15.32

DescriptionLong, A-line skirts called isikhakha are traditional Xhosa items of clothing. They are usually white or reddish and are only made by women due to their incorporation of glass beadwork. In Xhosa culture, the way people dress indicates their social status, the size of their family, their region of origin, the ethnic group they belong to, and so on. Isikhakha are easy to make and wear, so they are still commonly worn today. In the past, missionaries would prohibit Christian converts from wearing traditional dress, but now it is more popular to wear traditional Xhosa clothes.

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