Zulu items

[helen]

Mervyn,

Thanks so much for replying so quickly and for the wealth of information about the club - I shall pass your observations on to our enquirer and of course tell her where they came from!

As for marriage - yes, it is a lovely state of being and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

As for the truncheons - I know, I know - I'm sorry! I haven't forgotten about them. To be honest, part of the reason I haven't attended to the matter earlier is my unfortunate feeling that we won't have much in the way of what you're looking for. But nevertheless, I will have a look in the next few weeks. The firearms project is nearly at a close so things should quieten down I hope!

All the best,

Helen

[Mervyn Mitton]

We haven't added to this post for a while - fortunately I have had some different things come-in - so some more Zulu.

We have discussed the Zulu earrings on past threads - however, they are always different in design and materials. These are a little later in date - probably from the 1960's - shortly after this date they were discontinued as being old fashioned. These have the decoration cut from Marley floor tiles and the pieces are secured by hammering small pins through into the wood - the head of the pin is then cut off. The earlier versions used old copper gramaphone needles - which had a small rectangular head - but these must have run short.

Both men and women wore these earrings and they started piercing the ear when they were children. Different size plugs of wood would continue to be inserted over the years , until they could accept this size. The problem - and probably why they were stopped, is that if the plug isn't inserted, there is a big loop of flesh hanging down.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

This is a very attractive and well carved meat platter , or dish. Sometimes a lid was carved - as in this case. Zulus eat communally and the platter with the meat is placed in the centre of the group and each person will cut off what he needs. Chiefs - or head of a Kraal - are served separately by the wives - and also, women eat apart from the men. There will usually be a bowl or, smaller platter for salt and vegs. are served separately.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

The adze marks show clearly on the base. I don't know the significance of the '3' inside the bowl and the lid. Sometimes these older pieces are sold 'off' in up Country local markets and the mark may have been put-on to keep them together.

[Mervyn Mitton]

One of the problems of a tribal society - particularly in a warm climate where little clothing is worn - is how to mark the status of young unmarried girls and also, young married ones ? In the West we use finger rings to show availability - the Zulus use arm rings, woven aprons and older women as chaperones. However, nature has a way around and the Zulus also have a way of dealing with out-of-wedlock children. The matter goes before the local Chief, who imposes a fine on the man. The girl's parents will normally take on the responsibility of raising the child.

The system works well in the rural areas - unfortunately so many people have moved to be nearer the cities and towns in the hopes of work. The old bride price - or, Lobola - is approx. £5000 (7500) and with few jobs and low wages , people can't afford this and just live together.

Young, unmarried girls wear 20 bracelets on each arm - they are of brass and usually polished in the river sand. They are not unlike the old net curtain wires - designs vary.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Brian Wolfe]

Hi Mervyn,

Your post has certianly become an invaluable reference for Zulu related items. I really enjoy reading about and viewing your Zulu material.

Thanks for going to all of this work, it is really appreciated.

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

Some time since we last added to this Zulu thread - and with the World Cup about to start in South Africa it seems the right time. I also have some good spears which I will put on their thread in a short time.

This is another good example of a head rest - however, the difference is that it is a marriage gift. As used to happen in Wales, only with spoons, the bridegroom carves the headrest and he and bride each hold one of the half rings - during the ceremony and also in the festivities that follow. With all of these traditional items being discontinued, they now command quite a high price.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

Having married - she will now wear this skirt - made from hide strips.

[Mervyn Mitton]

The skirt being worn by a mature lady. The shield is interesting - it is an Ishilungu - the very large battle shield. Made from the Nguni cattle of the Royal herd they are rare. I wonder on the history of this one ?

[Mervyn Mitton]

This is a little different ! Durban opened it's new airport - King Shaka - a few weeks ago. King Shaka was the first King of the Zulu nation and came to the throne in 1816 - the bronze statue was specially commissioned for the forecourt of the airport. The photo was taken at the official opening and shows State President Zuma (left) and King Goodwill Zelathini, the present King. Behind the figure of Shaka are two of the Royal Nguni herd of cattle - also in bronze. King Goodwill took exception to the two bulls and said it made his ancestor look like a 'cow herder' ! They have now been removed and the sculptor is still bewildered - ah ! Africa.....

[helen]

Mervyn - nice story about the King's opinion of the statue!

My post has nothing to do with weapons but is about some Zulu items that fascinate me nonetheless! Colourful telephone wire baskets. I assume they're still being made in S.Africa (presumably as tourist items?) but I am not sure about this. These ones came to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford about 10 years ago. I don't know of any others in museum collections in Britain but of course there may well be. I've included them in the new audio guide for museum visitors with the following information:

These brightly coloured baskets,made out of telephone wire, were bought in the Mai Mai Zulu market in Johannesburg in the 1990s. Basket makers all around the world, particularly inthe less developed countries of Africa, Asia, and South America, recycle the waste products from developed countries in extraordinarily clever, creative andbeautiful ways. Baskets that were once made out of grass, leaves or bark are now being made out of plastic, foil, rubber and other modern materials. Zulu wire baskets are a good example of a time-honoured craft surviving and adapting to changing social conditions.

Zulu baskets were traditionally made out of palm leaf and grass. Many bulb-shaped baskets such as this were made by the coiling method, borrowed from coil pottery and the weaving is so tight that they are used as containers for beer. Beer, derived from sorghum, was an important part of daily life, as well as being drunk at ceremonies such as weddings, funerals and harvest parties. Beer can also serve as a votive offering to ancestral spirits,and the beer basket itself was an important symbol of hospitality. These modern baskets are known as imbenge, upside-down beer-pot covers. This is to protect the liquidfrom insects and evil spells. Just as with the original fibre versions, most imbenge have a loop with which to hang it up when not in use. It can also be used as a bowl to serve maize or porridge, or simply as a table centerpiece. It is not known who made or donated this basket, but what is interesting is that outin the villages, basket-work was mainly done by women, but the telephone wire versions were first done by men.

The tale goes like this: In the early 1990s, some SouthAfrican men who had moved to towns and cities such as Johannesburg and Durban,found work as night watchmen. They recognized the potential offered bydiscarded multi-coloured telephone wire lying about in the buildings they wereguarding. With time on their hands, knowledge of traditional basket techniques,and a new brightly coloured material, they invented a stunning new art form.The shape and form of the baskets are traditional but the new, thin, springy material did not lend itself to the coiling method so they developed a newspiraling technique instead that unusually worked from the outside in towardsthe centre, and perfectly exploited the myriad of colours. The craft was soontaken up by women and neighbouring communities in Zimbabwe, and became avaluable source of income for the indigenous people living in urban areas. Technical developments such as fibre-optics and mobile and cordless phones inthe 1990s led to a shortage of telephone wire that threatened to end thisvibrant new art form. However, with additional financial support from the South African government and the national telecommunications company, artists continue to be supplied with the raw materials they need. In fact, the practicehas spread out of the cities and into rural cooperatives, where men injured working in the mines and oil fields are taught how to weave the baskets.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - Helen. An interesting subject and I liked your commentary. The weaving of baskets and the making of decorative objects from telephone wire has always been popular and being so malleable the craftsmen can create some lovely designs. However - and without being contentious - it was not telephone wire which started the idea. From recent years I would not disagree with the old telephone coloured wire being scavenged and used for the above purposes - however, the origins of the materials are from further back.

Alfred Nobel registered blasting gelignite in the the 1870's and this allowed the gold mines to penetrate deeper and more safely. The expansion required large number of workers to live at the mines and they worked three shifts a day. Thousands of Zulus were recruited -along with people from other tribes - and all were required to live in barrack buildings. They actually had to leave their wives and families and were only allowed to return home for three or four weeks a year at the Christmas period, when the mines closed.

Needless to say there were many problems for the men - drunkeness, violence between tribal groups and of course - total boredom. There was no entertainment and so many things started which have become, today, a way of life. Gumboot dancing is probably one of them - and for those skilled with their hands - they turned to making the woven baskets and other objects. Telephone wire would not have been available to them - but, they had the coloured fuse wire which the mines used to detonate the gelignite........

The earliest of these pieces , are therefore, made from detonation wire - not dis-similar to later telephone wire, which took over. They still use the fuse wire in the mines and I am sure it is still used - to a certain degree - for making baskets et..

Edited July 1, 2010 by Mervyn Mitton

[helen]

Thanks for the added bit of history about the miners Mervyn, that's really interesting. I will try to incorporate it into the information we give to visitors. Cheers!

[Mervyn Mitton]

This headrest has just come-in - dates to about the 1930's and is from the Msinga area of Natal. I am showing it because of it's unique carved banding - almost a 'crossover' style. Just imagine the time and work it took to carve two large sides - and using only a small chisel - perhaps just a piece of sharpened metal ?

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[jocktamson]

Ive just discovered this thread Mervyn, I missed it somehow. These are fantastic artifacts.

Enjoyed the part about King Goodwill.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Jock - so did we.......

There is a another Zulu thread on their weaponry - lower down on the pages.