Bidspirit auction | Original South African Glass Beadwork

Original South African Glass Beadwork Figure by Artist Vandipha Mvinjana for Monkeybiz - Original South African glass beadwork figure by artist Vandipha Mvinjana for Monkeybiz, crafted by hand-stitching with needle and thread — a characteristic folk-art technique — over a rigid armature of metal wire, recycled fill, and a fabric covering. The beads are tiny Venetian glass beads. The lion's body is decorated with a complex geometric pattern in burgundy, purple, and navy, creating a contrast with the pearl and cream tones of the mane and legs.  The figure bears a label with the name of the organization and the artist.  Height: 10 cm. Width: 11 cm. 148 g. Does not stand entirely stable.  * Monkeybiz — a prestigious non-profit and social enterprise operating from Cape Town, South Africa, founded in the year 2000. Its mission is the empowerment of women and sustainable livelihoods in disadvantaged communities through art. The enterprise supplies raw materials (glass beads and threads) to over 250 women artisans, purchases their works for cash, and markets them worldwide. Its broader significance lies in the revival and preservation of traditional cultural beadwork (of ethnic groups such as the Xhosa and Zulu) and its transformation into contemporary three-dimensional art exhibited in galleries and sold around the world. * Vandipha Mvinjana is a leading South African beadwork artisan working within the prestigious Monkeybiz women's collective in Cape Town, where she preserves and revives the tradition of cultural beadwork (of groups such as the Xhosa and Zulu) into popular contemporary art. Mvinjana specializes in complex, one-of-a-kind three-dimensional sculpture based on meticulous hand-stitching of thousands of colorful glass beads. Her works combine African folkloric motifs with a modern and personal interpretation, receive international recognition, and give practical expression to the enterprise's vision of the economic and social empowerment of women in her community.