I already bought 2 hides as carpets. One small springbok hide (a small African antelope) for in the hallway and a bigger cowhide that is on the floor of my kitchen and then actually another one really cute.
Its a wool rug cut out with circles in all sizes and underneath small circles of Nguni cowhide patches. South Africa's indigenous Nguni cattle, long the mainstay of traditional Zulu culture, are possibly the most beautiful cattle in the world, with their variously patterned and multicoloured hides everywhere in demand.
So now I got the feeling for these hides, they feel so soft, are easy to maintain and now I am looking into bags...really nice bags of zebra, nguni cow or springbok are my favorites.
See here some examples:
This is the bag I have my eye on, nice or not?? It is made from springbok, the same hide I have in my hallway. Nice brown and neutral colors, mix and match with almost everything I have in my closet ;-)These are pictures from a local company here in SA, Flaming Red Lilies, who makes really nice bags
All these bags are one-of-a-kind created by local African designers, using materials sourced through South African wildlife conservation programs. Sourced from suppliers who give back to African communities, creating opportunities and a better qualitiy of life for all. So I do a good thing to support and buy these hides? Why do I still have a feeling that it is not really acceptable to have these skins hanging around my shoulder or having a cow in my kitchen??
How do you feel about these hides? Acceptable or not?? I guess here it is the normal thing to do, but when you go to the US, would people have them there as well....and I am not talking about the deer hunters, they probably would, but I am not that kind. So I am more talking about the regular folks who live on the coastal areas, like I used to do.
Give me your 2 cents...
Ciao, Mireille
3 comments:
I don't know Mireille. Don't think I could do it. Some are very pretty and heck, I have plenty of leather bags and all...but for some reason I don't think I could do a hide. It's kind of like not eating meat but letting a little bacon find it's way into my salad or sandwich. LOL. I have a selective conscience! To each there own, though! If you love it you should buy!
Also wanted to say there is no judgement here. The way of life is totally different there and I totally do get that. The hunting and selling of hides is a means of surviving and you would be helping the locals.
I go through the same feelings...since I din't grow up here, so it is not in my system to buy hides. But then again, why is leather OK and not hides, isn't it the same?? It is more the programming we go through, some things are OK and some aren't but then when you think about the logic behind it...there isn't!
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