Individual expression,cultural specificity and production bias in Ju|’hoan jewelry-making

Abstract

Few ethnographers have documented the personal experiences of Khoisan communities and even more obscure are perceptions about San individualism and self-expression. Yet anthropologist Richard Lee, in his book The Dobe !Kung (1984), suggested that !Kung (also known as Zu|’hoasi, Ju|’hoansi or Ju|’hoan) women use different colored beads to create intricately patterned headbands whose designs are named and should be regarded as an original art form. To date, Lee’s claim about Khoisan art in their material culture has not been explicitly corroborated or confirmed. This article questions the significance of named patterns, but substantiates the presence of artistic expression through an experiment with beads involving the Ju|’hoan. Ju|’hoan jewelry reveals aesthetic principles that do not seem culturally specific when it comes to the production of jewelry, but rather more so in the context of wearing it. The concept of production bias further separates culture-specific and material-guided elements of the jewelry production. The results confirm that Ju|’hoan beadworking tradition as an art form is reflected in the personal preferences entering the patterns as well as the color schemes and size of the final product. The cultural specificity of San self-made jewelry is mainly expressed in the way it is worn and not through the designs that are created.