This is a tiny detail of a large 45" x 34" Mapula tapestry made by Elizabeth Malete.  On August 9 1956 Black women across South Africa protested against legislation that required African persons to carry the "pass", a special identification document which curtailed freedom of movement in the Apartheid era. Today this is a national holiday.

You can see the full hanging in the Mapula section.

Collection of Carole Holmes