Ndebele Fertility Doll

This fertility doll is wrapped with a blanket as a married woman does, married women in addition wear metal neck, arm and leg rings. Mothers of initiates wear 'Umlinqa Kobe' -"long tears", two long narrow beaded strips attached to a headband, when their sons return from initiation,signifies  their sadness at having lost their boys and pride as these youngsters have been transformed into men.