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African Meat Trays - Zulu Meat Platters

 

Plateaux de Viande Zoulou - Zulu Fleischschalen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swazi Meat Platter - 20th Century

 

Umcwembe

 

 

    

 

Swazi wooden meat trays are known for their exceptional symmetry. Our example (A) is all but perfectly round. The small carved center indentation found at the central underside point of Swazi wooden bowls are tribally reflective of Swazi fighting sticks. They are included to prevent fresh wood from splitting.

 

Another

 

 

 

This example (B), is larger and a very powerful example exhibiting classic Swazi simplistic form. The underside of Swazi meat trays were scorched to help prevent insect damage. The singeing process is known as pokerwork - applied with a hot poker.

 

 

 

Example (B)

 

Four legs kept the meat platters raised from the surface. Visually appealing lugs were added to either side of Swazi bowls so that they might be hung when not in use.

 

 

Another

 

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Example (C) of oval form. This is a very large example.

Another

 

       

 

Example (D)

 

Both the Zulu and Swazi produced double meat trays. Our example has a dark patina of use.

 

Another

 

 

       

 

Example (E)

 

This exceptionally rare example had five bowls, a number which would have been used for various relishes. The raised design pattern on it's underside suggests a Zulu origin, but it was collected in Swaziland from a Swazi. As dry patina of  age is retained. 

 

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Zulu / Tsonga - Meat Platters

 

"Umcwembe"

 

 

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The Tsonga living in South Africa and Mozambique also made use of meat trays. This small, fine example (A) was rediscovered in England.

 

 

Tsonga - Zulu

 

 

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We identify this example (B) as Tsonga, in that a soap stone example in the collection of Karel Nel, was collected from a Tsonga area. The Nel example displays somewhat identical attributes and proportions.

 

     

 

Collection Karel Nel

 

 

Zulu / Tsonga

 

 

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This small meat tray (C) may well be Zulu. Both the Tsonga and Zulu scorched chevron patterns onto headrests, food bowls and other items, rather then all over.

 

 

Zulu / Tsonga

 

 

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This excellent example was early collected, then  rediscovered in an Australian context, where it might well have traveled too on a steamship. It's original symmetric pokerwork patterns have been darkened by years of  usage. 

 

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Mbunda Food Bowl

 

Zambia

 

 

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The Mbunda migrated eastwards from Angola into the Ba Rotze plain (Western Zambia) from the first half of the 19th century. They produced food bowls known as Mukeke or Mukeka and grain storage containers called Dondo. This is a lidded Mukeka once contained maize porridge relished with wild game. Open carved chevron decorations were popular during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries.

 

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