Lot 6
PAIR OF ZULU MILK PAILS, ITHUNGA
SOUTH AFRICA
Auction: 30 November 2022 at 14:00 GMT
Description
carved wood, the first with dark patination and the lower two thirds entirely covered in amasumpa; the second with dual lug handles and a small shallow panel of amasumpa, caramel patination (2)
Dimensions
tallest 36.6cm
Provenance
The I.W. Collection, United Kingdom, formed over the past thirty years.
Footnote
Note:
In traditional Zulu society, cows and the milk they produced were representative of wealth. Indeed, to this day the expression “umnumzane ubonakala ngesibaya sakhe” (the man’s social status is seen by the size of his kraal) remains a popular Zulu expression.
Many items produced for "everyday use" in traditional Zulu society were imbued with rich meaning and artistry. Those associated with cattle and their produce were no exception. Containers for milk (amathunga) were prestige objects and the examples contained within the present lot are of a particularly fine quality.