BY DR TONY MONDA
Almost as old as the human race itself, terra cotta has been used by civilizations all over the world from China to Peru, Spain to Mexico, and from Cape to Cairo in Africa, including in Zimbabwe.
Terra cotta refers to baked earth, clay that has not been fired or glazed; even the most archaic races on earth know how to work this substance, which formed the basis of their creative process.
Clay, the basic material of pottery, has two distinctive characteristics: it is plastic (i.e.: it can be moulded and will retain the shape imposed upon it); and it hardens on firing to form a brittle but virtually indestructible material that is not attacked by any of the agents that corrode metals or organic materials.
As a result, in virtually all developed cultures there is a long history of ceramic art. Ceramic objects are often the only remaining artistic evidence left of vanished cultures such as the Nok in Nigeria, from 2000 years ago. Cultures that are noted for fine ceramics include Chinese, Cretan, Greek, Persian, Mayan, Japanese and Korean, and many African tribes and groups of people.
China in particular, has had a long continuous history of large-scale porcelain production. Some pottery specimens found in china could possibly be the oldest known examples of pottery anywhere in the world. Chinese emperors included ceramics as diplomatic gifts on a lavish scale.
Extensive trading with China is evident in sub-Saharan Africa, during the Middle Ages under the reign of Munhumutapa; Chinese pottery found at Great Zimbabwe as late as 1949, confirms this inter-change.
In Zimbabwe, as in the rest of Africa, the art grew directly out of the soil, and has remained true to the landscape that gave it birth. Pottery is a source of information of a society and the people that existed centuries ago; revealing layer on layer of history and skill that spans thousands of years.
They can be decorated in many different ways: incising, sgraffito, carving and piercing, carrying with them many hidden messages.
The Shona people of Zimbabwe have a long tradition of pottery making that has survived from the early Iron Age, including pottery figurines of women that have been found dating from the early Iron Age of Zimbabwe.
Shona pottery had intricate patterns and designs etched or painted on the vessels. The patterns follow tradition and describe the potters district, rank, clan and lineage. Particular pots were made for particular classes of people and some were often buried with the dead, holding offerings of food and drink for their spirits.
In archaeology this pottery is used as a source of information about societies that existed centuries ago.
Some important archaeological pottery sites in Zimbabwe include the Chipuriro area that harbours 13th and 14th Century pottery at Mbagazewa.
Similarly, the Musengezi Graves, north of Harare that stretch from Lomagundi to Shamva, contain evidence of prehistoric pottery. Tabazingwe, near Bulawayo, contains pottery and other artifacts known as “The Leopards Kopje Tradition” which show intricately designed pottery.
Other examples of early pottery in Zimbabwe include the Mapela Tradition of pottery near the Shashe River; the Mapungubwe Tradition near the Limpopo River, and the rare Ingombe Ilede Traditional pottery of the Zambezi people. This sophisticated pottery of the Zambezi people is decorated with cowry shells, Indian glass beads, beaten gold and leather straps. Lastly, the Munhumutapa State Pottery of Great Zimbabwe are distinguished by their rare graphite glaze and subtle gold inlay, with surprisingly, very little patterning. They are historically important Zimbabwean ceramic relics.
Hari, pfuko, mbeya, and hadjgana, which are still in domestic use today, are some of the specific proto types of Shona pottery made. Each with specifically designated purposes to carry, store and serve, water, food, beer, grains, medicine, etc., as well as prepare and cook various dishes and relishes.
Zimbabwe’s contemporary group of ceramicists boasts some of the world’s best, but unacknowledged ceramic artists.
A case in point is Sue McCormick, who has represented Zimbabwe at several ceramic Biennales in the past and has also received the “Premio Acquisto” Award at the International Ceramic Show in Gualdo Tadino, in Italy. Jeannine Mackenzie, Sue Vickers, Dorrie Metcalf and Mary Mabogo, were important pioneering contemporary potters in the early 1960’s. Berry Bickle, Estelle Mbefura, Johannes Marimo, Carole Wales-Smith, Olga Azevedo, Frouwke Viewing and Eino Nangaku are some notable Contemporary Zimbabwean ceramicists who have kept this art form alive from post- Independent Zimbabwe onwards.
The elements that measure excellence in contemporary ceramic art are the shape of the object, its decoration, stylization and ornamentation, either by painting or carving, etc., as well as the methods of glazing incorporated in the art work.
Form its humble beginnings; ceramics has today become a billion-dollar-a-year industry due to the advances made in ceramic engineering. It is now also an important field of science. Its applications continue to expand as researches develop new types of ceramics to serve different purposes. Ceramics are now used to make bullet-proof vests, military aircraft armour, engines for gas turbines, dentistry applications, orthopaedic implants, pilot’s watches, space shuttle jet engine turbines and photolithography.
It is amazing to think it all began with a ball of wet clay and a pot!
Dr. Tony Monda holds a PhD. in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA in Post- Colonial Heritage Studies. E-mail: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com
About Author
