African Beer Pots Water & Grain Storage Containers

Page Loading

Gallery Ezakwantu
African Art - Art Africain - Tribal Art - 菲洲艺术 - Afrikanische Kunst

Central and Southern African Tribal Art

Home Visit our Gallery Thumbs Contact

African Beer Pots - Water Vessels

Pots de Bière Africaines - Afrikanischer Biertopf

Zulu Beer Pots

ukamba - uphisi - uphiso

Zulu Beer Pots ukamba with imbenge lids.

Early 20th Century Photograph WIRED: CONTEMPORARY ZULU TELEPHONE WIRE BASKETS

Zulu pots are made from clay using the coil method. Pots with necks were called uphisi or uphiso. A neck was added to avoid spillage when carried from place to place, usually to weddings.

Beer was traditionally brewed by women and served by them.

Beer pots without necks were called ukamba. These were literally beer 'cups', which required both hands.

Zulu Wedding - Ivy's Albums

When larger pots were transported, a branch of leaves might be stuck into the top to prevent spilling.

Virtually every home contained a number of beer pots of all sizes, as the consumption of fermented beer was part of a persons diet. Beer was made from crushed sorghum, millet or mealies (corn).

Beer left to ferment overflows..

Click thumbnails to enlarge.

In addition to transporting beer over long distances, beer pots were used to fetch water.

Our Collection

We hope you have enjoyed our Zulu pottery section.

Makonde Grain Storage Pots

The Maconde live on both sides of the Mozambique and Tanzanian border in East / South-East Africa. Their pottery was extensively field collected over a five year period. Gallery Ezakwantu purposely purchased some of the finest examples, then stored them away. These pots are HUGE and heavily decorated with distinctive incised designs, not unlike tribal body scarification.

Click images to view larger resolution pictures.

Makonde pots were used to store grain and have become all but impossible to locate on the international market.

Nyanja Water and Beer Pots

Click thumbs for larger resolution images.

Nyanja clay pots from Mozambique, were predominantly used to hold water. The interaction of water and clay is evidenced from the calcium deposits left on the bottom of the pots, as well as the larger surface area 'in some cases'. Efflorescent can lead to striking visuals effects. (above right).

Click thumbs for larger resolution images.

The Nyanja live to the south east of the Makonde and are coastal dwellers to some extent.

Ndau Beer Pot / Zimbabwe

Click thumbs for larger resolution images.

Shona - Karanga Pots

Zimbabwe

Click the image for a larger resolution picture.

Mafwe Pots - Kwando River

Pottery of the Cuando River

Angola - Namibia - Zambia

Mafwe Cultural Group - National Achieves of Namibia - Windhoek - Circa 1909

The Mafwe people live along the Kwando river (Cuando) at the point where Angola, Namibia and Zambia come together. As the river flows south, it becomes the Linyanti (passing through the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve) and then the Chobe (passing through the Chobe National Park). The Chobe river (Kwando - Linyanti) enters the Zambezi near Kanzangula. In full flood, the Okavango Delta fed by the Okavango River, flows across the Selinda Spillway into the Linyanti, thereby connecting all three river systems and regional tribal peoples. This results in a mixing of cultures.

At first, Mafwe pots look like what most label Lozi or Barotse. However Mafwe pots have attributes that differ, which can include zigzags, triangles, chevron patterns and dots. The lip of Mafwe pot necks are often flared outwards and constructed more solidly. (above - below)

Mafwe pots have been published before, but incorrectly… Above - the cover of Smashing POTS - Feats of Clay from Africa - Nigel Barley - British Museum. The inside cover reads: Pedestal cup and stirrup-necked pot. Sotho people, Lesotho (see p.26). The taller example is NOT from Lesotho - nor is it Sotho.

Page 26 reaffirms the cover error when summarizing the three as; Sotho people, Lesotho. The pot is from the Mafwe region.

Additional errors occur on page 152. A caption reads: Left Elongated stoppered vessel with zigzag decoration of red and buff slip. Center: Cylindrical, ridged vessel of yellow clay with red slip. Sotho people, Lewanika, Lesotho. Firstly, the layout of zigzag patterns on the left pot, as well as the center example's thick neck ring indicate that they are of Mafwe origin. Secondly - there is no such place as Lewanika, Lesotho. Lewanika was the paramount chief of the Lozi (Litunga) between 1878 and 1916. If nothing else, use of the word Lewanika regionally moves attribution closer to the Mafwe area.

Finally, page 34 attributes a cup to the Lozi saying: ... and a mug of yellow clay with a pattern of red triangles. Lozi people, Zambia. Lozi is closer to the target, but incorrect. Carved wooden and ceramic mugs were found all along the Namibian border with Angola, inspired by late 19th and early 20th century German presence. The Caprivi Strip itself (Caprivizipfel), named after German chancellor Leo von Caprivi, intersects the Mafwe at the Kwando river. Often this area, as well as people residing in Katima Mulilo, is tossed off as Lozi. Lozi in itself is a term often used for a mishmash of tribal groupings. Mafwe should NOT be included. Our pots follow.

Mafwe Pot 526

This is a large Mafwe water pot, used to cool water, with characteristic triangular decorations. It was collected from the Namibian population, not far from their paramount chief's residence.

Click these thumbnails for larger resolution pictures.

Bikwe Catherine Maungulo, born on Singobeka island (then Namibia - now Botswana), was the owner (center). Like many of these refrigerator pots, it was dry and unused. Native oil made from natural animal fat (milk) was added to the surface of this pot (and others), to bring out lost patina.

Mafwe Pot 527

This Mafwe pot was also collected in Namibia.

This pot, also collected in Namibia, is the largest we have seen or know of.

Click these thumbnails for larger resolution pictures.

It is decorated with floral scenes, similar as those attributed to Lozi. However, its pronounced neckline is adorned with a good mix of trademark Mafwe chevrons and triangles.

Young children offer testament to this Mafwe pots size.

Mafwe Pot 525

This far smaller Mafwe pot exhibits zigzag - chevron patterns, triangles, as well as a full ring line accentuated with red circles or dots.

Click these thumbnails for larger resolution pictures.

It was collected from the Zambian Mafwe population, a distance inland from the Kwando river.

Click thumbnail for a larger resolution picture.

Zambia gained independence in 1964. Kenneth Kaunda was it's first president and ruled until 1991. He was a popular figure during the first 20 years of rule. During that time, people often applied his initials (KK) to objects, as doing so was measured to be patriotic and served as a measure of status.

Click either thumbnail for a larger resolution picture.

Lozi / Mafwe related Pot - 524

This pot was collected in Libingi village, located in the Senanga district of Zambia, approximately 100 klms from the central Mafwe concentration. It is small and does not represent water pot dimensions typical to any area or people.

When asked, the owner said she was Lozi. When pressed further, she acknowledged she was Kololo. The Kololo are a northern Tswana (Bechwana) group who until overthrown, once ruled the Lozi. Over time they have become comfortable attributing themselves as Lozi.

Click these thumbnails for larger resolution pictures.

The pot is not typical Lozi or Tswana (Kololo), or for that matter Mafwe. However the inverted triangular shapes indicate Mafwe influence.

Lozi Pot - 522

This pot was also purchased in Libingi village.

The owner, Ilwange Pizo, said he purchased it at Kalabo. Kalabo is a settlement of mixed Mbunda and Lozi people, located a considerable distance to the north on the west bank of the Barotse Plain.

Mr. Ilwange Pizo - South Western Zambia

Mbunda pots are predominantly dark in color, as are those of their Chokwe, Luvale and Luchazi cousins. For this reason, we feel the example above can be correctly identified as 20th century Lozi.

Click these thumbnails for larger resolution pictures.

Mafwe Woman - Photo Gallery Ezakwantu

Sotho Pottery

Maritsŏana (Marie-tswana) Beer-Grain-Water Pots

Circa 1910 - 1960

Galerie Ezakwantu has collected pots from the Ba Sotho in Lesotho over many years. For the most part, pots found in any one village were invariably made in a certain style. When a variant was found, it represented an object that had travelled into the area from potters working outside the immediate region. Young women learned the art of pottery from older women of their village. Pots collected at the highest elevations of Lesotho often resembled one another. This was due to a lack of clay in their area and the need to purchase pots from makers living lower down the valleys near the clays source.

Large pots like the example carried by the woman (above right), were used to brew beer. The Basotho referred to the object as an Eqho or Nkho.

Nowadays plastic containers have replaced the brewing function. When found, they generally had become all purpose containers such as laundry bags and in one case, the support for a small cabinet. (above)

We have found them secured into the ground.

Click the image below for higher resolution picture.

This is our largest Nkho pot measuring just over 55 cms or 22 inches tall. The decoration around its upper rim was added to increase strength, needed when the great force of liquid was placed inside.

Click thumbs for larger resolution images.