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Description

Strainer woven from plant fibre with an unfinished opening at the top and tapering towards the base where the weaving has been gathered and tied with plant fibre twine.

History Of Use

Used to strain beer (utshwala) that contains cereals, such as sorghum; usually made by women. Women create the tools and pots (ukhamba) for beer making because of the idea that heat is the driver of growth and qualitative change, and women are perceived to be natural possessors of the heat needed for creation. Because of the importance of heat in both the maker and the process of brewing utshwala there are taboos in place to prevent too much heat energy from a woman affecting the brew. If women are menstruating, pregnant, or have had sex in the past day, they are forbidden from brewing beer, making tools for brewing, or firing an ukhamba. Different sized beer strainers have different purposes. Smaller ones are generally sold for non-traditional markets, such as tourists and urban dwellers. Larger sizes are offered for use in the household or as wedding gifts. Strainers are also popular gifts for young men going through an initiaton into manhood. This would have been used for utshwala used in communal ceremonies to contact ancestor spirits. The first drinker is a woman, to ensure that it is brewed properly, and the second is the male head of the household. Afterwards it is passed around to the other men; men and women drink separately. The ukhamba, or izinkamba, are kept on the floor so that the Amadlozi, ancestor spirits, always have access. These brews, as well as the tools used in their production, are among the few income-generating crafts historically produced by women in the region. Utshwala is still widely brewed in homes across South Africa for domestic consumption, as well as gifts and for sale.

Specific Techniques

Although grass-weaving techniques vary considerably from location to location, many ivovo are woven by women using Ilala palm fronds or from grass rope. The weaving technique used in the creation of this strainer may represent the umqolo weaving technique.