Like drumming, the rhythm and staccato sound of udders being milking is one associated with memories of pastoral Kwa-Zulu natal in by-gone times.
Older folk will reminisce about this time, when young boys were tasked with herding and cattle were lovingly tendered. Every family kept Nguni cattle, nowadays only seen in pockets of the country.
Milk pails, ithunga, (plural amathunga) , were generally made from marula, fig or red ebony wood. They were utilitarian and of a tubular shape. Young boys milked in the kraal or cow byre and sat with this container clasped between the knees. The top of the pail often had a pair of flared lugs that could be tightly wedged in order to keep it stable during this process. Some of the earliest examples of pails, taper down to a small rounded base that was lodged into the ground.
The shape and form of milk pails was exemplified by simplicity, strength and solidity and varied across Natal, but also changed over time. Decoration on the outside of containers was functional and chevron patterns and amasumpa designs were often carved in blocks or raised areas around the body of the pot to assist with grip.
Milk was decanted from the pail into terracotta pots, covered, cooled and drunk forming a nutritious part of the diet, or turned into a staple favourite called umasi, (sour milk).
Tips for collectors:
The shape does vary in different parts of the country but some of the oldest examples are long and narrow. Some examples after the 1960s, show a smaller vase like form with a flat bottom. Handles were often short solid projections. Anyone having had the pleasure of milking cattle, will be able to discern from a practical point of view, what might constitute an authentic milk pail.
Sometimes the top is sawn off old milk pails were the wood has eroded for resale purposes, thereby changing the proportion. This alters the form and the placement in relation to it, of handles or decoration.
Sometimes pails were upended and the base used as a candle holder at night.
Some pails in the 1960s were painted with enamel paint for decoration.
Today, copies are made from old eroded logs.
A typical Nguni bull
However the culture related to cattle remains in the rural areas, pervading language, proverb, idioms and fables and is a necessary part of adulthood as the value of cattle still determines bride price or lobola. But in urban areas these linguistic connections are eroded due to lifestyle change and the adoption of other languages.
Over time artists in South Africa and abroad have dealt with cattle in different ways, confronting our perceptions and meanings related to these animals. For example:
In Emil Holub's book Seven years in South Africa, 1881, artist J. Vanione illustrated the Batlapin people riding cattle. This practice was also discussed in Zulu fireside tales.
Leigh Voights' book of stunning water colours illustrating Nguni cattle is:
Abundant herds a celebration of the cattle of the Zulu people. M. Poland, Hammond Tooke and Leigh Voight, 2003.
Nicolene Swanepoel, 1962-2016, a qualified veterinarian and artist, print maker and ceramist researched Nguni cattle culture in South Africa, creating these sculptures from recycled clay.
Nandipha Mntambo beautiful work combines the use of cowhide in sculptures that defy categorization and subvert cow hide as cultural signifyers.
Joachim Schonveldt, a sculptor and painter works in a variety of mixed media, questioning the viewers notions of the meaning of the authentic, in art.
Michael Tuffery from New Zealand, constructed this metal cow from recycled bully beef cans questioning concepts of recycling, and how the industrialized approaches to farming destroys traditional food production.
After 2000, long life milk in sanitized tetrapac containers made an appearance on S.A. shelves and today souring rates of diabetes attest to the dietary change to soft drinks.
