“Ungayilibali Iambrela Yakho!”
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! WASEBRITANI
MIHLA le, abantu abaninzi baseBritani baphatha iambrela. Akunakuqiniseka ukuba akuzukuna. Ngaphambi kokuba siphume endlwini siye sikhwazane sisithi: “Ungayilibali iambrela yakho!”—suke sitsho ukuyilibala ebhasini, kuloliwe okanye evenkileni. Ewe, sidla ngokungayikhathaleli ekubeni sinokuthenga enye nanini na. Kodwa iambrela yayingasoloko igqalwa njengento engabalulekanga kangako.
Imbali Yayo Ebalulekileyo
Kuyabonakala ukuba iiambrela zokuqala zazingenzelwanga imvula. Zaziluphawu lobuhandiba zisenzelwa abantu ababalulekileyo. Imifanekiso ekroliweyo nemizobo yamandulo yaseAsiriya, eYiputa, ePersi naseIndiya ibonisa izicaka zibambele abaphathi bazo iiambrela ukuze bangatshiswa lilanga. EAsiriya, yayingukumkani kuphela owayevumelekile ukuba abe neambrela.
Ukutyhubela imbali ukuba neambrela bekusoloko kubonisa ukuba negunya, ingakumbi eAsia. Umlawuli wayeba negunya elingakumbi ngokweeambrela anazo, njengoko kuboniswe kwimeko kakumkani waseBurma owayebizwa ngokuba yiNkosi EneeAmbrela Ezingamashumi Amabini Anesine. Maxa wambi enye into eyayibalulekile linani lezigqubuthelo zayo. Iambrela yomlawuli waseTshayina yayinezigqubuthelo ezine, yaye eyokumkani waseSiam yayinezisixhenxe okanye ezisithoba. Nanamhlanje kwamanye amazwe aseMpuma naseAfrika iambrela iseluphawu olubonisa ukuba negunya.
Iiambrela Zonqulo
Ekuqaleni, iambrela ibinxulunyaniswa nonqulo. AmaYiputa amandulo ayecinga ukuba umzimba kathixokazi uNut ukhusela umhlaba wonke, kanye njengeambrela. Ngoko abantu nabo babeziphathela awabo “amakhusi” ukuze bakhuseleke. EIndiya naseTshayina, abantu babekholelwa ukuba iambrela evulekileyo ifanekisela isibhakabhaka. AmaBhuda amandulo ayeyisebenzisa njengomqondiso kaBhuda, yaye kudla ngokubekwa iiambrela phezu kwamaphahla angqukuva ezakhiwo zawo ezibalulekileyo. Iiambrela ziyasetyenziswa nakubuHindu.
Ngowama-500 B.C.E., iiambrela zaqala ukusetyenziswa naseGrisi, apho zazibekwa phezu kwemifanekiso yoothixo noothixokazi kwimisitho yonqulo. Abafazi baseAthene babenezicaka ezazibaphathela iambrela, kodwa ayembalwa amadoda awayezisebenzisa. Eli siko lanwenwa ukusuka eGrisi ukuya kutsho eRoma.
Kumsitho weCawa yamaRoma Katolika kwakunxitywa izivatho ezinobukhazikhazi kuze kubekho neeambrela. Upopu wayeneambrela yesilika enemigca ebomvu nemthubi, ngoxa iikhadinali noobhishopu babenezimfusa-bubomvu okanye eziluhlaza. Ukuza kuthi ga kumhla wethu izakhiwo zonqulo zinesitulo sikapopu esineombrellone okanye iambrela, enemibala enxitywa ngoopopu. Ikhadinali ebambelayo ecaweni xa kufe omnye upopu kungekabekwa omnye iba neombrellone.
Yayifudula Iyeyelanga Yaza Yaba Yeyemvula
Namhlanje siyakwazi ukubona umahluko phakathi kweambrela yemvula neambrela eyenzelwa nje ukuzikhusela elangeni, kodwa intsingiselo yeli gama ayinakuthanani nemvula. Igama lesiNgesi elithi “umbrella” livela kwelesiLatini elithi umbra, elithetha “umthunzi” okanye “isithunzi,” yaye ibinzana elithi “parasol” livela kumagama athetha “ukukhusela” nelithi “ilanga.” YayingamaTshayina okanye abafazi baseRoma yamandulo abaqalisa ukuqaba iiambrela zabo ioli okanye amafutha ukuze imvula ingangeni. Noko ke, iiambrela zayekwa ukusetyenziswa eYurophu de kwaba yinkulungwane ye-16 xa amaTaliyane, yaye kamva namaFrentshi, aphinda aqalisa ukuzisebenzisa.
Ngenkulungwane ye-18, abafazi baseBritani baqalisa ukuphatha iiambrela, ngoxa wona amadoda ayengavumi ukusebenzisa into awayeyigqala njengobuyokoyoko bamabhinqa. Abanini-venkile zokutyela babezisebenzisa, kuba babekuqonda ukubaluleka kokuba neambrela yokukhusela abantu abaze kuthenga kwimozulu embi njengoko besehla kwiinqwelo zabo zamahashe. Abefundisi nabo bazifumanisa ziluncedo gqitha ecaweni xa beqhuba inkonzo yomngcwabo imvula igalela.
UJonas Hanway owayengumkhenkethi nomququzeleli wentlalo-ntle yabantu nguye owatshintsha indlela eyayisetyenziswa ngayo iambrela eNgilani. Kuthiwa yindoda yokuqala eyaba nenkalipho yokuyiphatha esidlangalaleni eLondon. Ekubeni wayephawule ukuba amadoda ayazisebenzisa ngoxa wayekuhambo lwakhe lwaphesheya kweelwandle, wazimisela ukuba nesibindi sokuyisebenzisa nangona amadoda ahamba ngeenqwelo zamahashe ayesiba nomsindo aze amtshize ngabom ngamanzi anodaka xa edlula kuye. Lo kaHanway wayesoloko ebonwa ephethe iambrela yakhe kangangeminyaka engama-30, yaye ngexesha awafa ngalo ngowe-1786, kwakusele kuyinto eqhelekileyo ukubona amadoda nabafazi beziphathele iiambrela zabo.
Ukusebenzisa iambrela yemvula ngezo mini kwakulucelomngeni ngokwenene. Ezo ambrela zazinzima, zinkulu yaye zingabukeleki. Iiseyile zesilika eziqatywe ioli ezazenziwe ngazo neengcingo neziphatho zazo ezide ezenziwe ngomthi okanye ngethambo lomnenga zazisenza kube nzima ukuyivula xa imanzi, yaye zazivuza. Sekunjalo, zaya zixhaphaka, ingakumbi ekubeni kwakubiza ixabiso eliphantsi ukuthenga iambrela kunokuqesha inqwelo yamahashe xa kunetha. Baya besanda abenzi beeambrela neevenkile zazo, yaye abenzi bazo baya beyiphucula indlela abazenza ngazo. Phakathi kwinkulungwane ye-19, uSamuel Fox wenza uhlobo olubizwa ngokuba yiParagon, olwenziwe ngentsimbi ekhaphukhaphu kodwa eyomeleleyo. Endaweni yeeseyile ezinkulu kwasetyenziswa amalaphu alula anjengesilika, umqhaphu nelineni eqatywe amafutha. Kwaqaliswa ngelo xesha ukwenziwa iiambrela zezi mini.
Iyinxalenye Yefashoni
Ngoku iambrela yenye yezinto ezidumileyo kwifashoni yamanenekazi anxiba izinto zodidi eNgilani. Ngenxa yokutshintsha kwefashoni, iiambrela zawo ezintle zaya zisanda yaye zazisenziwa ngemibala eqaqambileyo yesilika. Ayedla ngokuphatha ezihambelana nempahla ayinxibileyo yaye zazihonjiswa ngemiqukumbelo yeleyisi, iintanjana neentsiba. Kakade ke ngenkulungwane yama-20, akukho nenekazi elithanda ukugcina ulusu lwalo luluhle elalinokubonwa lingayiphethanga iambrela.
Ngeminyaka yee-1920, kwangena ifashoni yokuzitshisa ngelanga, yaye iambrela phantse yayekwa ukusetyenziswa. Ngoku kwafika ixesha loonto-zodidi ababenxiba ngendlela efanayo bethwala iminqwazi emikhulu baze baphathe iambrela emnyama evaliweyo ababeyisebenzisa njengomsimelelo osefashonini.
Emva kwemfazwe yehlabathi yesibini, ngenxa yenkqubela kwezobugcisa kwabakho iiambrela eziphucukileyo, njengezisongwa zibe ncinane, ezineseyile engangeni manzi, ezepolyester, nezeplastiki. Zisekho iivenkile eziliqela ezenza iiambrela ezintle zexabiso. Kodwa kwezi mini, imizi-mveliso yenza iiambrela ezininzi zexabiso eliphantsi ngayo yonke imibala nezingakanani na, ukususela kwezinkulu zegalufa nakwezinkulu gqitha ezenzelwe ukugquma abantu abahleli etafileni ukusa kwezo zinokungena kwibhegi encinane.
Nangona yayikhe yagqalwa njengeyona nto inexabiso elikhulu nesetyenziselwa ukubonisa isikhundla sikabani, ngoku iambrela ifumaneka ngexabiso elifikelelekayo, yaye isoloko iphakathi kwezinto ezilahlekayo neziphinda zifunyanwe. Iluncedo gqitha emvuleni naselangeni naphi na ehlabathini, yaye injongo yayo yokuqala yokuzikhusela elangeni ibuyile kwamanye amazwe, njengoko kusoloko kulunyukiswa ngengozi yokuhamba elangeni. Ngoko mhlawumbi xa uphuma endlwini namhlanje, uza kuva umntu ekukhumbuza: “Ungayilibali iambrela yakho!”
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
Ukuthenga Nokunyamekela Iambrela Yakho
Khetha iambrela ekuza kuba lula ukuyiphatha neyomeleleyo. Esongwayo yexabiso eliphantsi nenokungena kwipokotho enkulu ayikwazi ukumelana nomoya omkhulu. Kwelinye icala, engasongwayo imali yayo inokuthi xhaxhe, kodwa ngokuqhelekileyo iluncedo nakwiyiphi na imozulu yaye yomelele. Eneneni, iambrela eyomeleleyo inokuhlala iminyaka. Enoba ukhetha oluphi na uhlobo, yikhusele ingangundi yaye ingabi namachaphaza omhlwa ngokuyishiya uyivulile ukuze yome ngokupheleleyo ngaphambi kokuba uyivale kwakhona. Ukuba uyigcina kwisingxobo sayo iya kuhlala icocekile yaye ingenathuli.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 17]
Isicaka siphathele ukumkani waseAsiriya iambrela
Umfazi waseGrisi yamandulo uphethe iambrela
[Inkcazelo]
Drawings: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
Iambrela yowe-1900
[Inkcazelo]
Culver Pictures