Pottery

The art of ‘pot-making’ is an age-old tradition, widespread in the Zulu Kingdom. Enthusiasts can find ceramics ranging from traditional Zulu pots to more classical or contemporary collections produced by crafters who’ve gained international recognition.

The award-winning Nala family of Eshowe in Zululand continue to create clay beer pots using techniques passed down through the generations. They produce the ukhamba’ drinking pot, the smaller ‘imbiza’ for storing beer, and the much larger ‘uphiso’. The clay is hand dug from two areas near their ancestral home, one clay is red, the other grey. The clay is ground, sieved and dried, before being mixed with water in a ten-gallon iron drum. They leave the clay to mature, before it is wedged and rolled into balls.

The pots are hand coiled, then smoothed using a piece of calabash or an old spoon. They use river pebbles to burnish the pots, then add traditional decorations of small pieces of shaped clay. These decorations were symbols designated to a particular family or clan, often depicting a story or a picture.

Nowadays the younger members of the family experiment by adding reptiles or cultural scenes.

Once the pot is completed, it is left to dry naturally before being covered in dry grasses, stalks and leaves and set alight. This ‘fires’ the pot, while a second firing blackens it. The finished item is rubbed with animal fat, and brushed until it shines.

Clay pots of this kind can be viewed and purchased at the African Art Centre, while the Bayside Gallery at the BAT Centre specialises in ceramics, including work by the Nala family and internationally acclaimed artists such as Subisiso Dube, Rodney Blumenfeld, Clive Sithole and Marta Zettler.

Traditional pots are also sold by roadside vendors, craft stalls and markets.

Contemporary potter Ian Glenny established the internationally renowned Dargle Valley Pottery in the Midlands. All his ceramics are authentically local, crafted on site from clay found in the valley, while many of the glazes originate from local wood ash. Ian builds the kilns and hand throws the pots. His designs are original, and all pieces are both robust and functional, as well as being collectors’ items.

Another must for the seeker of unique ceramic design, is a visit to the Ardmore Art Studio in the Champagne Valley, central Drakensberg. Fee Halsted-Berning blended her considerable expertise and knowledge with that of Bonakele “Bonnie” Ntshalintshali, and they were joined by some 40 Zulu artists from the local Ntshalintshali and Shabalala families. A unique and dynamic partnership developed over time, and the functional and sculpted ceramics based on a fusion of African and colonial artistic traditions, are now on display at Christies of London.