Zulu Pottery

Pottery plays an integral role in Zulu culture and is used for rites and rituals such as weddings, births, marriages, and burials, and it often symbolizes hospitality and communality.

A traditional Zulu pot is black in colour and has a wide mouth. The surfaces are usually patterned with raised bumps in a geometric pattern or inspired by nature. Other methods of decoration may include brightly coloured paint and/or sgraffito patterns which are scratched into the paint.

Pots are made from clay and then placed in the ground and covered with tinder and then a protective covering before they are fired. Animal fats are used to polish the pots.

Making pottery was generally considered a woman's job and they were designed for practicality and function.

Click on the links to see full size images.