Two individual carte-des-visites photographs of the three wives of the Mgolombane Sandile, the king of the Ngqika Xhosa. A number of photographs of Sandile, his wives and councillors were apparently taken on the same occasion; several variations of the group of his wives exist, some showing them dressed in court finery and draped in extensive beadwork whilst others, such as these, show them in their every-day dress. The status of the woman in the centre of the group is nonetheless reflected in the beadwork stitched to her skirt and apron.
