Zulu crafts

I-Africa Craft Trust

Impilo iyashesha futhi izinto eziningi esizithengayo namuhla zikhiqizwa ngobuningi, imikhiqizo eyenziwe ngomshini, kukhona ukunyakaza okukhulayo okuphokophele kolunye uhlangothi – ngezinto ezenziwe ngezandla, zobuciko ezibonisa ukunakekelwa namakhono asetshenziselwe ukwenza zona – amakhono ababenawo abesilisa nabesifazane ababejwayele ukwenza izimbiza zobumba zendabuko, izincwadi zobuhlalu zobuhlalu namabhasikidi ase-Afrika alukiwe. Kepha ngenkathi laba bantu benamakhono okudweba, iningi lishoda ngobuchule bebhizinisi, … Read more

Zulu ‘Cutlery’ and ‘Crockery’

The Phansi Museum in Glenwood is having a sale of some of their woven and beaded artefacts from Msinga, and it got us thinking about how different (and wonderful!) African ‘cutlery’ and ‘crockery’ is. Historically, these items would have been made from either straw, clay or wood and would have been referred to as ezotshom, ezobumba and ezokhum respectively. Thing … Read more

The Africa Craft Trust

With life moving faster and faster, and the majority of the items we buy today being mass produced, machine-made products, there’s a growing movement that’s pushing in the other direction – for handmade, artisanal items that reflect the care and skills used to make them – skills possessed by men and women used to making … Read more