Context (Field collection)
This item was purchased on 19 May 2000 from African Image, Church Street, Cape Town. The proprietors of the shop stated that it was made by a rastafarian artist called Fani.

This object was collected by Julia Tanner while undertaking fieldwork in South Africa from March-May 2000. The fieldwork was financed by UCMAA's Crowther-Beynon Fund, in order to research and update UCMAA's South African collections.
Event Date 19/05/2000
Author: Annie Tomkins

Context (Production / use)
The composition of the chameleon shows the combined use of metal wire, telephone wire and beadwork. It is more common to find objects made in one medium or the other, but the combining of these materials has also developed. The wirework motorcycle and the telephone wire plate in this collection are examples of single-material objects.
The chameleon is a prominent figure in African folklore. It is generally regarded with some apprehension. In Zulu folklore it is associated with the story of the origin of death. Interestingly though, it is a frequently represented object.
Event Date 2001
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Bead and wirework chameleon composed of a body of oval-shaped golden beads threaded on telephone wire around a frame of metal wire. A spiral wire tail is coiled with brown and black telephone wire. The wire legs and feet are coiled with brown telephone wire. The head is made of wire threaded with circular pink beads, with two green beads as eyes. The chameleon also has a curled wire tongue.
Event Date 26/1/2011
Author: maa