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The Venda
Venda History
The
Ba Venda (Vhavgona - Vhavhenda -
Vhenda- VhaVenda) are a Bantu tribe living in Southern Africa. The
Mapungubwe Kingdom emerged in the 9th century. According to
historical studies, King Shiriyadenga was the first king of Mapungubwe
and Venda, who united the two and formed
Vhavgona or Vhavhenda.
The Bantu Tribes
of South Africa - A. M. Duggan-Cronin
As with most of the other tribal
peoples of Southern Africa, the Venda migrated southwards from Central
Africa. They are
regarded to be one of the last black groups to have crossed
the Limpopo River. They first
settled in the Soutpansberg Mountains.
Traditional South
African Venda region demarcated in yellow.
Venda history is closely
related to the history of their successive sub chiefs, especially
those who were descended from their legendary ancestor, Thoho-ya-Ndou or
Head of the Elephant.
Thoho-ya-Ndou’s kraal was called D’zata
or home and it's remains are now a National Monument. D’zata had great significance
for the Venda because they buried their chiefs facing it.
Succession to the throne is a complex matter.
History has been characterised by many disputes over occupancy of
the throne. When Thoho-ya-Ndou died, divisions arose between the different sub chiefs
over disputes regarding the question of who was to
succeed him.
Today there are 26 sub chiefs that trace their origins
to the great man while a few others trace their ancestry to tribes that
were later incorporated with the Venda. However, the true Venda can be divided into 2 groups. The western
group is primarily of Singo origin and descended from leaders such as Mphephu, Senthumule and Kutama. The eastern group
regarded themselves as descendants of Lwamonde, Rambuda, Tshivashe and
Mphapuli.
There
was an important social division in Venda society between commoners
called vhasiwana and the children of chiefs and their descendants
known as vhakololo.
One of the most interesting and distinct groups of people who later
joined the Venda are the African Semites known as Lemba. Lemba
are believed to be the descendants of Semitic traders who entered
Africa around 696 AD, or
descendants of the lost tribe of Israel. DNA tests confirm they
are indeed descendants of an ancient Jewish people. They keep to themselves, only
marry within their own group and sometimes refer to themselves as Vhalungu, which means non-Negroid or respected foreigner.
The beads the Lemba brought with
them from far-off countries are treasured to this day and
are used in divination and other magical ceremonies. The Lemba were very
good traders and artisans. They were also famous, for their metalwork
and pottery.
Mapungubwe Hill 
1050-1270 AD
Mapungubwe was a city that
flourished between 1050 and 1270 AD and may have had a population of
5000. It lies at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers and marks the
centre of a pre-Shona kingdom
which covered parts of modern-day Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Mapungubwe is thought by archaeologists to
have been the first
class based social system in South Africa. Its leaders were separated
from and higher in rank than its inhabitants.
Life in Mapungubwe was
centred around family and farming. Special sites were created for
initiation ceremonies, household activities and other social functions.
Cattle lived in kraals located close to the residents' houses,
which signifies their value.
The city grew in part
because of its access to the Limpopo River, which connected the region
through trade to the ports of Kilwa and other sites along the Indian
Ocean. Commerce grew with existing regional networks where salt, cattle,
fish, metals, ostrich-eggshell beads and other items had been traded for
centuries. New prestige items, including glass beads and cloth, were
introduced through the Swahili trade and were likely exchanged for gold,
ivory, and other locally produced goods.
The archaeological site of
Mapungubwe is now as National Park. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.
Mapungubwe Hill
The sandstone structure is 300 meters long
with vertical cliffs rising 30 meters to a
plateau. This hill was inhabited between AD 1220 and AD 1290.
Mapungubwe Replica
Wall - Gold of Africa Museum
Most speculation about the society continues to be based upon the remains of
buildings, since the Mapungubweans left no written or oral record. After
Mapungubwe's fall, the city was forgotten until 1932. A local farmer by the name of E. S. J. van Graan and his son, a former
student of the University of Pretoria, discovered a wealth of artefacts
on top of the hill. They reported the find to Professor Leo Fouché of
the University of Pretoria, paving the way for excavations that continue
to this day.
Mapungubwe's location was initially kept secret for fear of
looting, as many gold artifacts were found.
Golden Rhino -
Mapungubwe
They were
excavated in an elaborate burial site dated from approximately 1000 AD
to 1300 AD, which include the famous
golden rhino. The remains
of people in three of the graves were buried in an upright seated position
associated with royalty. With them were found a variety of gold and
copper items, exotic glass beads, and other her prestigious objects as
pottery, ceramic figurines, crafted ivory and bone.
Gold Fragments
from Mapungubwe
Other portions of rhino
figures were unearthed. Gold foil covered wooden carvings.
From 1240, the Mapungubwe Kingdom
declined and the centre of power and trade moved north to the
Great Zimbabwe Kingdom.
Great Zimbabwe - Within
the Enclosure
Great Zimbabwe
postdates the Mapungubwe ruins.
Nalatale Ruins -
Zimbabwe Khami Ruins - Zimbabwe
The shifting of focus to Zimbabwe's Khami and Rozwi empires
did not result with the Venda culture coming to a standstill. South of the Limpopo,
Shona-Venda pottery styles developed in the 14th and 15th Centuries.
There are no stonewalled ruins comparable in size to Great Zimbabwe in
the north eastern part of the Northern Province, but those in the mountains
show a link.
From 1400, waves
of Shona speaking migrants from modern Zimbabwe settled across the Lowveld.
These people were known by the Venda as Thavatsindi. The
earlier traditional
Venda authority system eroded, due to continuous contacts with other
cultures.
From stone ruins, to
waves of migration, history repeats itself. Waves of Shona speaking migrants in
their millions continue southwards to this day. In the time of Rhodesia
it was said that 10 years after
Zimbabwe's
independence, the new country would be referred to as
Zimbabwe Ruins. Hello!
Click this link to
view images
of the Zimbabwean dictator and his misdeeds.
Venda Culture
Venda
culture is an interesting mix of other cultures. In many ways, Venda are
culturally closer to the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
At the same time, they have strong
affinities to the nearby Lemba, Lobedu and North Sotho.
Trade, warfare and
intermarriage with Tsonga, Lobedu, Zulu, Swazi and other people, have
left their imprints on Venda culture.
The Venda appear to have
incorporated a variety of East African, Central African, Nguni and Sotho
cultural characteristics. For example, they forbid the consumption of
pork, a prohibition that is common along the East African coast. They
practice male circumcision common among many Sotho, but not so among
most Nguni peoples.
Venda culture is
built on a vibrant mythical belief system, which is reflected in their
artistic style. Water is an important theme to the Venda and there are
many sacred sites within their region where the Venda conjure up their
ancestral spirits.
They believe zwidutwane or water spirits, live at the bottom of
waterfalls. These beings are only half visible; have only one eye,
one leg and one arm. One half of man can be seen in this world and the other
half in the spirit world. The Venda would take offerings of food to them
because zwidutwane cannot grow things underwater.
Lake Fundudzi The Art of Africa
- Holy - Plate 131
One of the most sacred sites of the Venda is Lake Fundudzi, which was
formed by a huge landslide in the Soutpansberg mountain range. Suspicion
surrounds the lake, which is fed by the Mutale River, yet does not appear
to have an outlet. It is said that you can sometimes hear the Tshikona sing, although no one appears to be
present.
Tribal Peoples of
Southern Africa - Page 48 - Barbara Tyrrell
The Venda people have a very special relationship with crocodiles. The
area where they live has many of these dangerous reptiles. The Venda
believe that the brain of the crocodile is poisonous, so they don't even
hunt them for food.
Venda artist Noria
Mabasa - Crocodile Sculpture - Collection Paul Mikula - Phansi Museum
The Venda were a protective
people, many of whom still practice polygamy and worship their
ancestors.
Venda Language
The Venda language, TshiVenda
or LuVenda, is a Bantu language. It emerged as a distinct dialect in the 16th Century. In the
20th Century, the TshiVenda vocabulary was similar to SeSotho through
association, but the
grammar shares similarities with Shona dialects, which are spoken in
Zimbabwe. Today about 875 000 people in South Africa speak Tshivenda. The Tshipani variety of Tshivenda
is used as the standard.
The majority of Venda speakers
live in South Africa, where "Venda" is an official government language,
but there are also speakers in Zimbabwe. Before South Africa became a
democratic country, the Bantustan of Venda was set up to cover the Venda
speakers of South Africa. Throughout this area, variants of Tshivenda
are spoken.
Tshivenda Variants
Tshiilafuri = Western Venda with traces of Sotho
Tshimanda = Central Venda, used by the Luonde and Lwamondo
Venda
proper = found in Tshivhase and Mphaphuli's areas.
Tshimbedzi = Eastern
Venda
Tshilembethu = North Eastern Venda
Extreme
Eastern Venda = influenced by Karanga from Zimbabwe.
Tshironga = Southern Venda
South
Eastern Venda = shows influence of Tonga and Sotho
Venda Homesteads
Venda villages,
particularly those inhabited by chiefs or headmen, were built on
hillsides or hilltops for defensive reasons.
Tribal Peoples of
Southern Africa - Page 42 - Barbara Tyrrell
Below, a Venda homestead
photographed at Mbilwe prior to 1928. Duggan-Cronin wrote: The
work of cutting and erecting the poles of the hut is done by men, the
plastering is done by women, as is the thatching. The little wall around
the veranda is usually very skillfully ornamented, with various colours
obtained from the different-coloured earths in the region.
The Bantu Tribes
of South Africa - A. M. Duggan-Cronin
An unusual Venda wall
structure.
South African
Tribal Life Today - Image 28
Renowned Venda artist Noria
Mabasa was born in Xigalo village in 1938.
Click the thumbs to explore
fascinating aspects of Mabasa's ever developing home.
Venda Musical
Instruments
Phala-phala's were made from the horns of kudu or sable antelopes and used
to call the people together for various gatherings. Each horn produced
it's own "note" and according to Duggan-Cronin, weird tunes
were the result.
The Bantu Tribes
of South Africa - A. M. Duggan-Cronin
Venda drums are considered sacred and come in two forms. The smaller
narrow example is
held between the legs. A far larger round form usually has four elegantly carved
handles where it is often attached to a pole or tree. Both types are
called Ngoma, a generic name for drums over a large swath of Africa.
Tribal Peoples of
Southern Africa - Page 52 - Barbara Tyrrell
The Bantu Tribes
of South Africa - A. M. Duggan-Cronin
The three
photographs and video clip that follow were taken and filmed by Barbara Tyrrell and Peter Jurgens
from 1949.
Circa 1949 Domba
initiation school. - Barbara Tyrrell / Peter Jurgens
Circa 1949 Domba
initiation school. - Barbara Tyrrell / Peter Jurgens
Click thumbnail to
view Ngoma Drums filmed by Peter Jurgens in 1949
It was believed that the Singo king could protect his people from attack
by their enemies by beating a special drum called the Lungundo,
"drum of the dead". According to legend, the sound of the drum would
strike terror in the hearts of the enemy and they would flee. We are not
sure what it looked like.
Circa 1949 Domba
initiation school. - Barbara Tyrrell / Peter Jurgens
Xylophones
were called mbila and are claimed to be the finest musical instrument
of the Venda. They were made from wood, calabashes and plant fibre.
The "keys" were 3 to 4 inches wide, made of various thicknesses and
beautifully decorated with incised designs. Calabashes served as
sounding boards and were attached in graduated sizes with plant
fibre. Small apertures were closed by thin membranes.
The Bantu Tribes
of South Africa - A. M. Duggan-Cronin
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Boys Initiation
Vhahwira - Muwhira
The Thondo -
Morundu Initiation School
Two distinctly
different initiation schools existed in Venda. The Thondo is the older of
the two, which each Venda boy should pass through to attain manhood.
Elaborate ritual governed the setting up, building and maintenance of
the school, under the dictates of a traditional healer. It was a highly
secret school where boys were trained in the self discipline, endurance,
manners and tribal etiquette.
Venda boys were circumcised
at the Murundu or Morundu initiation school. Circumcision
and
vhahwira
costumes were introduced by the North Sotho,
which include
the Ba Roka and Lobedu.
ex / Potcheftroom - J. Witt Collection The Bantu Tribes of South Africa
- Circa 1928
A. M. Duggan-Cronin
The photograph to
the above right was taken by Duggan-Cronin. He wrote:
These Vhahwira are in the Thondo school, which is a continuation of the
Morundu or circumcision school. Their very effective disguise is
composed of a series of grass mats wrapped round them. One is carrying a
typical old-fashioned Venda battle-axe.
The costume to the
left represents the same supernatural
Vhahwira, who is known as the recruiter. Deaf and dumb, he
communicates by whistling and swishing a wand. The character is made up of reeds and body parts of
hawks, owls and hammerhead birds.
It was collected in
the Sekororo Area by J. Witt during the early 1960's. Later it became
the property of the Potchefstroom University Collection. Few examples
are known, as these were often burned at the end of Thondo.
Annals of the
South African Museum - Vol 94 - Part 3 - Page 097
This photograph
was taken by Krige in 1938 amongst the Lobedu. At this initiation, the
most spectacular costumes were worn by the mohwera from Rabothada,
whose performance at the capital traditionally closed the initiation.
Krige states the Rabothada dancers were called magôgôbya. They
had magnificent costumes with headdresses surmounted by animal figures,
with underskirts trailing the ground with dramatic effect.
This image the two
which follow, were
taken in 1949 by B. Tyrrell and P. Jurgens.
Click thumbnails
to view Vhahwira Dancing by Peter Jurgens - Circa 1949
Filmmaker and
photographer Peter Jurgens was artists Barbara Tyrell's husband. Many
original photographs became part of the Ivy's Albums,
where records show Muhwira is a recruiting officer for the
Sangwe, which is the name for the girls initiation school.
Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa - Page 52 - Barbara Tyrrell
This watercolor by Barbara Tyrrell includes
the Vhahwira, or Muwhira figure. It is clear from the detail of her
work, that the Vhahwira was the one she first viewed in 1949 with her
husband Peter.
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Girls Initiation
Vusha - Tshikanda
- Domba
Master of the Domba with his authorative staff.
(Staff stolen
from the Master of the Domba in the 1950's)
Photograph by
Peter Jurgens
Drawing -
Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa - Page
45 - Barbara Tyrrell
There are three phases of
initiation for Venda girls; Vhusha, Tshikanda and the Domba. Vhusha was
attended as soon as possible after a girls first menstruation and then
Tshikanda and Domba shortly before they were married. It could be held
several times a year in the head-quarters of any district headman, but tshikanda and domba were held only at intervals of three to five years
at the headquarters of chiefs and certain senior headman and for girls
of several districts. At Vhusha, girls were introduced to the secret
milayo laws, meant to prepare them for their future roles as wives and
mothers.
Tshikanda was the
second phase in Venda girls initiation and it took place just before
before Domba. Considerable time was spent practicing ndayo exercises.
Ndayo is a dance, but more of a physical exercise, there to make
the girls suffer and honour the old ones. The movements reinforce the
pattern of seniority.
Ndayo Dance or
Exercise
Venda Girls
Initiation Schools by John Blacking
The Domba is the pre-marital initiation, the last one in the life
of a Venda girl. The chief or sovereign will call for a Domba. Preparations are
then made by the families for daughters to prepare what’s necessary to attend the ceremony. This includes entry
fees for the ruler, clothes and bangles.
Click thumbnail to
view The Master of Domba - Peter Jurgens
Historically, girls used to
stay with the chief for the entire duration of the initiation school,
which ranged between 3 months to
3 years. Nowadays girls only spend weekends at the ruler’s kraal, due to
schooling.
The Domba has multiple functions. Girls are
taught to how to become wives, plan birth, child birth, child care, how
to treat a husband and nowadays the risks of AIDS. All this brings
fertility to a new generation of the Venda.
Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa - Page
46 - Barbara Tyrrell
A number of special rites
and mimes are associated with Domba. One which was well
documented, photographed, filmed and painted by Barbara Tyrrell and
Peter Jurgens, was of
a dog and two chiefs. They argue over ownership of a buck killed by
their dogs. While they quarrel, the dogs devour the buck. The lesson is
obvious.
The Dog
Photographs by Peter Jurgens
Some experts would
like to say Southern Africa had no masks...
Click
thumbnail to view Dog Mime - Peter Jurgens
Matano are secret
objects which belong to the Master of Domba. They are cared for in a
secret place by the chief's mother, as well as old women of the kraal.
Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa - Pages
47 and 49 - Barbara Tyrrell
Matano are used for
teaching at Domba. Among these are wood figures of men and women, clay
pythons, lizards, crocodiles, leopards and model huts. The upper left matano shows
a man teaching about the man who killed his wife's lover.
Pair of figures
at the National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria collected prior to
1920.
Click thumbnail to
view Matano - Peter Jurgens
Each matano has a
symbolic name.
The hut is used to teach respect due to the home.
Photographed by
Peter Jurgens
Nonyana is a cone shaped
creature of blackened bark fiber with a head made of scarlet beans and
small inserted ostrich feathers, about hip high. He or she appears at night and emits
a peculiar birdlike call, swaying and rocking from side to side. No arms
or legs are seen. (Personal communication with Barbara Tyrrell) The effigy joins the Domba dance and suddenly
quenches the fire with it's water sodden skirt. This strikes terror among
those present.
Photographed by
Peter Jurgens
This photograph
and the 35 mm footage maybe the only know Nonyana imagery known. This materialized
when Tyrrell and Jurgens were beckoned into a secret enclosure.
Click thumbnail to
view Nonyana footage by Peter Jurgens
Domba Dance
The great Domba dance is
regularly held in the evenings, from dusk to dawn, around a ritual fire.
Girls form a long chain and move in a clockwise direction.
Photographed by Peter Jurgens
Barbara Tyrrell at Venda Domba
Ceremony Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa - Page
46
The
dance symbolized the mystical act of sexual communion, conception, the
growth of the fetus and child birth. The successive performances of the
dance during the months the school was in progress symbolized the
building of the fetus.
Photographed by Peter Jurgens
The girls began to dance with a
monotonous response to the lead singer; then they brake into the
ecstatic tivha khulo style of
vocal hocketting.
Photographed by
Peter Jurgens
At the end of the dance the
girls stopped moving and would lean over in respect.
Photographed by Peter Jurgens
They lay down in
fetal positions as one.
Photographed by
Peter Jurgens
Barbara Tyrrell wrote in
Tribal Peoples: Traditionally they
danced nude, but today their dress is the shedu cloth, passed between
the legs forming an apron flap in front and a panel at the back. The
girls assemble in the python line, close together, back into the next
front and hands gripping the preceding elbows. The chief's daughter
leads, her arms free and weaving against the night lie the heads of two
serpents. Many metal bracelets and anklets glint as the domba line
shuffles forward, in slow, rocking movement, to a drowsy tempo and the
line of arms ripples up and down, like the python fertility god whom
they revere and represent. All dancing is accompanied by chanting, some
in the form of question and answer. High pitched voices reply to the
booming voice of their teacher, a man who today is clad in European
dress with perhaps a leopard skin cloak and feathers on his head. He
capers on a wooden platform or runs along the line of dancer switching
anyone who is out of time or, with another switch, driving away evil
spirits.
Click either thumbnail
to view clips of the Domba Dance - Peter Jurgens
Photographed by Peter Jurgens
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Material Culture
Venda Woman's Dress
Woman photographed
prior to
1928, after girls had passed through Domba.
The Bantu Tribes
of South Africa - A. M. Duggan-Cronin
Images taken in 1949 by B.
Tyrrell and P. Jurgens showing two stages of post Domba dress.
Photographed by
Barbara Tyrrell and Peter Jurgens
Barbara Tyrrell
wrote of the 3 women below left:
Left:
Mother of a young baby wears a thong around her waist to prevent the
baby crying when she is away.
Centre: A
post-initiate of Vhusha school wears thahu and stands in humble
attitude.
Right:
Post-initiate of Bomba wears "the feather" and her woman's backskirt.
She stands respectfully, awaiting gifts.
Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa - Page
51 The Bantu Tribes of South Africa
- A. M. Duggan-Cronin
Doll type objects
called thahu were worn under a beaded open worked belt on a girls
rears pointing downwards. An example was recorded the Barbara Tyrrell
watercolor above, as well as photographed by
Duggan-Cronin, dolls worn on three others.
Open worked beaded
belts collected in Venda by Paul Mikula of the Phansi Museum.
Mention is made
of thahu in Evocations of the Child,
page 172 in an article entitled Musidzana wa Tshirova - The girl who has a
medicated rod.
Above - three examples of
thahu in the Phanzi Museum Collection - Durban
Above, three examples of
thahu, one wooden, another beaded and on of clay. Centre example collected by Paul Mikula from Lowani Ralimaoi at
Makhubela in 1999 - circa 1976.
Thahu were worn as
adornment. It is suggested they were specifically there to promote
fertility. The article
Musidzana wa Tshirova
makes
further suggestion that these phallic objects are the representation of
a male genital organ and the tassels, semen, the latter most likely no
more than the authors fantasy and/or false discovery.
Venda women wore
extraordinary beaded belts, snuff tins and blanket pins. Beaded tin
panels were worn on the chest and called "Khambana Ya Fola".
Bead
colours chosen and beading techniques used resembled those of the
Venda's North Sotho and Shangaan neighbours. However, on closer
inspection details are easily identifiable to be Venda.
Venda Wood Carving
We propose and
suspect that the "Master of the Round Mouth" was of Venda origin.
Read on to learn why...
 
Examples of wooden
chain links in a Private Collection
Woodwork in Venda has identifying fingerprints unique to the Venda people. During the
1920's, anthropologists from the National Cultural History Museum in
Pretoria, field collected eight very long wooden chain link
sets, each carved from a single piece of wood. They collected the items in Venda.
Unlike
Tsonga chain linked objects of far lesser proportions, each
of these links had two flared points, one on either
side. Additionally, most chain examples terminated with phallic
protrusions on either end. (above right)
Double Pointed Link
We know of three
other examples. The centre chain (above) was part of the J. R. Ivy
collection and measures 7.2 meters. The dark example
(above) came from an East London estate and measures 6.45 meters. The third
was sold at the S. Welz Sothebys ex Norman C. Bloom Estate sale
in 2003 and measured 5.47 meters. (below)
Norman C. Bloom
Estate
Wooden chain links
of this magnitude were not necessarily curios made for trade to
Europeans. Had they been, far more examples should have surfaced in
antiquity markets. More likely, their use was as status objects by any
culture, as they were admired
by all those who came in contact with them.
A number of ladles of
Tsonga design are known with typical Venda links. These may
overlap from one tribe to another, but we feel the shape of the links
are a give away.
Private Collection
Assuming the defining point of attribution to Venda
is the link "form", then
previously unidentified objects may be attributed to the Venda. A good example
would be
the smaller chain link with Janus faces carved on either end.
Private Collection
There are a number
of known staffs, made by the carver of those which follow.
(or carvers) In each case, Janus faces resembling the smaller chain
linked face example, were included at each staffs mid
section.
Private
Collection
The staff above
may be of earlier vintage than those below. If two separate carvers were
responsible for these, they would have at the very least, been inspired
by the other's carving tradition. Alternatively, the same person may
well have carved both at different points of his career. Before
dismissing this, consider that artists of European origin often
changed style or techniques during their careers. Modern day academics
tend to ignore the likelihood of African artists doing exactly the same.
Had they not, their usual line of "from the same school as" would
in many cases fall away.
In our opinion, the carvers of
all 3 staffs
may be the same person. The clue is the naively carved Janus
faces, in relation to the far more detailed head finials surmounting each
staff. In all cases, the carver changed style between the two areas on a
single staff. At the same time, the Janus sections of the staffs match
the work of the smaller chain links, also Janus.
Private Collection
Another...
The Master of the
Round Mouth - Collection Terence Pethica
Below (centre) is
a plate from Snelleman and Mullers work
Industrie des Cafres du Sud-Est de l'Afrique,
published
between 1891 and 1892. The figures on either side of the plate, as well
as the neck rests further down, are in the collection of the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde
in Leiden Germany.
The Master of the
Round Mouth
Holy - Plate 135 Industrie Des Cafres - Plate 27 Holy - Plate 137
Other figures by the Master
Private Collection
The figure above is
undoubtedly by the "Master of the Round Mouth", visually confirmed by the Snelleman
and Muller
figures. The example represents a respected
African sporting a head ring, dressed in European attire.
Wearing a
foreign uniform does not mean the figure is a curiosity carved for a European clientele. The uniform's inclusion simply confirms the carver had been in contact with Europeans by the time
the figure was made and that he felt such dress or fashion to be a
worthy addition to his artwork.
The AKM figure may be a Matano used at
the Domba
initiation school. The figures attire strongly resembles that of the
instructor which Barbara Tyrrell photographed at the domba, shown again
hereunder. In this man's case, the uniform was most probably of personal choice.
Master of the
Domba - Photograph by
Barbara Tyrrell and Peter Jurgens
Master of the
Domba - Circa 1949
Below are two
other figures by the hand of the "Master of the Round Mouth".
The Campbell Collection - Durban
East London Museum Collection
Both figures
depict Africans and thus are likely to be Matano figures
as well.
A
underlying humour found in each of these works, as well as the variety
of subjects he produced, reconfirms the artists status as that of a "master carver".
Mapungubwe Rhino -
1050/ 1270 AD
The headrests
(below) are the property of the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde and were
also collected by Snelleman and Muller.
The Art of
Africa -
Masks and Figures from Eastern and Southern Africa - Holy - Plate 140
In all likelihood,
the two collectors met the carver when passing
through Pretoria in the late 19th century, as they attributed the
objects to Maraba-stad in the former Transvaal. At the time, Marabastad
was a culturally diverse community. The carver would have been attracted
there by a growing European market, which explains why the four Rijksmuseum
objects show a relative lack of patina,
in comparison to the other known figures.
The master carver
would have encountered Tsonga people in Marabastad, all of whom would
have influenced the other. The interaction accounts for the Tsonga
styled neck supports worked into each headrest. At the same time, it
helps to explain the lack of patina on the earlier mentioned chain linked ladle.
Click the images
to view a rare copy of
Industrie des
Cafres du Sud-Est de l'Afrique
Another aspect to consider
is the
origin of the carved round mouth itself, in context to early
collected Southern African art
. The open mouth design with exposed teeth is relatively rare. The
numbers suggest this carving style is area specific.
Below is a staff
surmounted with a male head. It not only includes a round mouth, but
displays a north Sotho styled coiffeur, placing this into an area specific
location.
Private Collection
Another round
mouth staff is shown, below right. Note the upraised or pronounced
head-ring, a feature the Master of the Round Mouth included in his
staffs. In our view this fashion was once also Venda specific.
Private Collection
Above left is a
more recent contemporary carving by John Mudau. Mudau was an
active carver in Venda from 1983,
until his death in 1987.
Nick Cumming
Collection
This staff dates
to the mid 20th century. If it were not for the Venda drum included in
the composition, one might attribute the carving to East Africa.
Venda styled drums were found well into Mozambique, so the the fez
cap may indicate South East African attribution. At the same time, Masters of the
Domba wore colonial attire and owned related staffs.
Venda wooden
chain links link Venda art to the Master.
Domestic Artifacts
Another Venda fingerprint
are carved raised ladle rims found on spoons, as seen in the centre image below.
Private Collection - ex/ Natal Museum
- ex Kinkaid Smith Collection
Private Collection
This Venda trademark
is not new, which the early collected example to the right confirms.
The photograph
(below right) shows a Venda girl with utensils of daily use, including baskets,
pots, calabashes, a mortar and stomper. On her head is a typical
Venda basket used to carry prepared meals.
Rain-Queens and
Python Dance – Plate 71 - Katesa Schlosser
Typical Venda pots
can be seen above. Noteworthy exceptions follow.
The two figured pots on
the left are the works of Noria
Mabasa and found within the confines of her home. The pot on the right
was field collected amongst the Venda.
Click
thumbnails to view Venda Pots or Sorghum Stomping - Peter Jurgens
Neck rests were
used to support the head in an effort to protect a persons coiffeur. The
incised pattern below is similar to that found on the keys of Venda xylophones.
At the same time the relationship to Zimbabwe's Shona peoples is
reconfirmed.
National Cultural
History Museum - Pretoria
Venda Battle Axes
Early collected
Venda battle axes were styled much like others in Southern Africa. Their function was to display rank or authority, much like a staff or
sceptre. Below, a Venda Vhahwira of an initiation school holds a
typical example firmly to his side.
The Bantu Tribes
of South Africa - A. M. Duggan-Cronin
The drawings and
images of Southern African battle axes below, were published in The Zulu Battle
Axe by Tim Maggs of the Natal Museum.
Below - battle Axes depicted
in Southern African Rock Paintings
Southern African
Battle Axes in Museum Collections
Battle axes were
held in high esteem by the Venda community. The influx of Europeans from
the early 19th century had a dramatic effect on their appearance. The bayonet form evolved,
which had a facsimile of European bayonets
used for stabbing.
Attribution Tsonga
Related - Private Collection
Initial contact
with whites occurred when Voortrekker leader Louis Trichardt came to the
area in 1836. In 1848, the trekkers established a settlement named Schoemansdal.
The Venda chief Makhado harassed them to
such an extent, that the town was abandoned in 1867. This harassment was
continued by Makhado’s son Mphephu, and eventually led to the Mphephu
War. As a result, Mphephu was defeated and fled to Zimbabwe.
The battle axe
below, was owned by a Dutch immigrant from Petersburg. The hilt is
surmounted with a double steeple church and decorated with
brass nails.
Private Collection
The Berlin
Mission Society had a presence in Venda from 1850. Mission stations were
to be found on both sides of the
Soutpansberg mountains.
Not supriseingly, both of the following axes were re-discovered in a
German context.
Private Collection Wolf-Dieter Miersch Collection
The addition of churches
onto Venda battle axe finials underlines fascination
craftsmen had with items of European design. In earlier times, the
brass and copper decorations, as well and the sheet iron type steel used
on the circle blade, were foreign.
Of late, many
incorrectly attribute battle axes of bayonet form to the Venda.
Axes
surmounted with Tsonga neck rests confirm that bayonet battle axes were
more widely used. Without a church or headrest depicted, attribution
should be determined through provenance alone.
Wolf-Dieter Miersch Collection
Arne Grosskopf
Collection
Attribution may
be secured through contextual information. The coiffure found on this
Southern African staff final confines it's origin to the North Sotho.
The "round mouth" narrows this further to Venda. Affirming this, it was
rediscovered in a German context, in the heart of the city of Berlin!
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