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Ceremonial Dance Hoe
Western Zambia
Ila Speaking Girl - Zambia
Miniature hoes called Katemokavamwali were danced
at female imitations called mwali in Angola, DRC - Congo and Western
Zambia. Katemokavamwali literally means the hoe of the female initiate.
Katemo is hoe, vamwali is of (va) women (mwali) or female initiate... so;
Katemo ka vamwali.
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For the most part blades were carved from wood
or forged by an ironsmith. This example has a wooden blade, was once
part of the Southern African Heinz Papen Collection and most likely dates to
1900 -1920.
The wooden blades underside has the initials MD carved
into a backdrop of a larger "D". The object may have been offered at a
presentation to an important official.
Traditional African body paint and scarification.
These images were taken in the early 1990's while a
mwali ceremony was in progress, north west of Kabompo.
Girls of Chokwe, Ila, Luchazi, Mbunda and Luvale origins celebrate the coming of
age at the mwali ceremony in nkunka huts. The event is as widespread as the boys
mukanda, but conducted almost exclusively on an individual basis at the
beginning at first menstruation. A teacher organizes the girls scarification,
the stretching of her labia and applies body paints, all intended to fashion the
perfect woman. The scarification is applied to her abdomen to add to and
emphasize her role in childbearing.
The writer has viewed Katemokavamwali often
danced at the boys Mukanda .
Another
This second example boasts a laminated ivory hilt and
blade.
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Detailed Images
By the 20th century, perhaps before, there was an
established tradition of laminating flywhisks, staffs and chimbuya axes
with sections of ivory. This is one of only two Katemokavamwali
known to us, both early collected.
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