Rare Zulu Figures - Tsonga

19 Century - Published

This pair of figures were published in The Mlungu in Africa - art from the colonial period, 1840- 1940.  Therein it is writen: The carver of these relatively large figures has an idiosyncratic style that incorporates asymmetry to produce bulky and abstracted forms with unconventional volumes.

The Mlungu in Africa - art from the colonial period, 1840- 1940  Catalogue number 32 - Pages 64 - 65.

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Large figurative human figures are rare in the Southern African context and often found in pairs.

The pair measures 46 and 51 centimeters respectively, or 18 and 20 inches.

The sculptures are highlighted with pokerwork.

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Tsonga - Ba Ronga Figure

Hunter Figure - Attributed to Muhlati

In the early 20th century, Muhlati was the most famous carver is SE Africa. He had extraordinary skills and creditably claimed to be able to carve anything from wood.

In 1927 Henry Junod published "The Life of a South African Tribe". Therein he wrote; 'The finest specimen of Native art that I ever saw is the carving of a huge panther about to devour a human being, the work of Muhlati, a sculptor living in the neighbourhood of Lourenso Marques. This artist, who was very proud of his work, and asked a tolerably high price for it, claimed to be able to carve anything and everything: birds, four-footed beasts, or men. He was famous throughout the land for his talent.

Without Junod's words, Muhlati's name, would have been lost to time, like so many other master carvers of African origin. His accumulated work may also have been reduced by academics as "from the school of master carver so and so", which they have done to many of Southern Africa's early indigenous artists. 

Our hunter sports a head ring, a 19th century fashioned adornment, which once affirmed  the authority held by respected elders.

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It is written of  Muhlati, "Mlungu in Africa - art from he colonial period, 1840-1940" - Page 44 - M. Stevenson  and M. Graham-Stewart; His distinctive style is characterized by pokerwork representing hair and clothes on a blonde wood, and, more specifically, incised circular eyes heightened with pokerwork, circular ears with and intruding triangular form, slit mouths, hands with simplified parallel grooves for fingers, and a running motif of cross-hatching often on the base or support. - Other works by him are illustrated in Julius E Lips, The savage hits back, London, 1937,p.172, fig. 143 and Ubuntu Arts et cultures d’Afrique du Sud, Paris, 2002, no. 18 (a work in the collection of Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, Paris. (A99-29-5), Incorrectly ascribed to Basotho).

 

 

   

 

The figure sports a  buck slung over his back. It is 33 cms tall, or 13 inches and has a typically dry 19th to early 20th century patina.
 

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Makonde Figure / Mozambique

By Nampyopyo Kulombanungu

Nampyopyo Kulombanungu was active in the 1940's. His success producing figures for resale gave him sufficient wealth and autonomy to invent a new form of mapiko masquerade involving masks representing non-Makondes. Today he is revered by Makonde's throughout northern Mozambique as a pioneer in masquerade.

Source: “Bortolot, Alexander Ives. Revolutions: A Century of Makonde Masquerade in Mozambique. New York: Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University, 2007”

Related figures may date back to pre-colonial Makonde who lived in dispersed settlements. Each settlement was composed of a small number of households headed by men belonging to a matrilineal kinship unit called a likola. A likola was said to derive from a common female ancestor, revered as a life-giver and protector, who was represented by figurines. Carved from wood, the effigies were embellished with traditional body decoration. The face and torso had geometrical designs and the upper lip exhibited the lip-plug worn by Makonde women of the time. People often carried such carvings with them on long journeys. For example, a man going out to hunt might have tied one to his back or hip to protect him from danger.

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Related Makonde figures appear on page 134, 135 and 136 of Art Makonde. (below)

Our example, as well as those above, are not necessarily colon objects. One of the most important events in the life of a Makonde was initiation. During this intensive months-long ritual, boys and girls were provided with knowledge and skills essential to the Makonde way of life. Carvings sometimes functioned as teaching tools in this context.

A typical Makonde pot surmounts Nampyopyo Kulombanungu's old figure, the most famous regional carver.

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