The intricate restoration and development of a new hanging mechanism has been completed on the large beaded South African flag that has hung in the main chamber of the Constitutional Court for 18 years.
The 6.2m x 2.5m beaded flag is a prominent work in the Constitutional Court Art Collection (CCAC), cared for by the Constitutional Court. Its restoration was enabled by a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.
The flag’s vibrant colours are reflected through intricate designs of hand-stitched embroidery and beadwork.
Originally crafted in 2005 by a collective of mostly women beadwork artists from the African Art Centre in Durban – Hlengiwe Dube, Leonie Malherbe, Ntombi Agnes Mbatha, Thobani Mbatha, Ntombifikile Greta Nkosi, Sphindile Nkosi and Zibuyisile Pretty Zulu – its creation required months of intensive labour to create separate beaded panels of the flag, meticulously stitched together, ultimately aiming to portray unity through diversity.
The flag’s restoration project was led by the Constitutional Court Trust’s curatorial team responsible for the CCAC. It was undertaken at the Constitutional Court in collaboration with one of the flag’s original artists, Dube and her assistant, Phumelele Dludla, and involved cleaning and the repair of loose beads and threads.
The introduction of a new Velcro hanging mechanism to counter sagging and wrinkles was executed by the team at Mark Sinoff Exhibits, who also helped with the artwork’s deinstallation and reinstallation.
“For the restoration, we reinforced all of the beads with new cotton, we cleaned the flag and placed new stitching to secure the work to its lining.
“We feel happy that this amazing example of the South African flag can continue to be seen behind the justices’ bench for many years to come,” Dube said.
The collaboration has also enabled valuable knowledge sharing on the conservation and preservation of South African beaded artworks.
CCAC curator Bahlakoana Lesemane said the flag was an important and internationally recognisable artwork in the Constitutional Court Art Collection. The project marks Bank of America’s second collaboration with the Constitutional Court Trust.
The bank provided funding to conserve the Marlene Dumas 28-metre tapestry, The Benefit of the Doubt, in 2019.
The projects have been supported through Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project, which provides funding to non-profit cultural institutions around the world to conserve historically or culturally significant works of art.
According to Francois Lion-Cachet, CCAC curator of public engagement, both these artworks that have been restored carry national importance in their representation of the values contained in South Africa’s Constitution.
Cape Times