The Voortrekker Tapestry: Reconstituting identity and status

Abstract

The Voortrekker Tapestry was created in an atmosphere of Afrikaner nationalistic zeal in the 1950s, and this context has influenced subsequent interpretations of this artwork. The Tapestry is shown here as a synthesis of historical attitudes towards Afrikaner women, which are parallelled by the inferior status given to craft as a ‘feminine’ activity.