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Description

Woven beer pot cover. Single coil weave with four double coil weave panels.

History Of Use

Lid (imbenge) used to cover the opening of a ceramic pot, an izinkamba or ukhamba, containing home-brewed beer. Women create the lids, pots, and tools 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. The beer beverage, utshwala, is used in communal ceremonies (umancishana) 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 ceramic pots 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

Lid was created with the coiled weaving technique; which may represent the umqolo weaving technique.