Synopsis "Dunga Manzi (in English)"
This full-colour book showcases some of South Africa's most treasured heritage, aiming to make readers aware of the high degree of artistic skill that exists in South Africa.""Dungamanzi/Stirring Waters"" features Tsonga and Shangaan art, culture and heritage, and accompanies an exhibition of the same name at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. It tracks the history of these cultural groups through essays and a wealth of images of material culture and art.Originating largely in Mozambique, and consolidating themselves in response to the mining industry and to the homeland policy of the apartheid government, Tsonga and Shangaan people mobilised in difficult political, economic and social circumstances to form a distinct identity and artistic style.Tsonga and Shangaan headrests, staffs, figures, puppets, medicine gourds, healers' attire and snuff containers are some of the finest heritage objects this country has to offer. They are the material record of a complex and dynamic period in South Africa's past.Divided into four sections, the catalogue first highlights the histories of the Tsonga and Shangaan, including a personal narrative of the Makhubele family. The second explores the magnificent beading tradition and the third, the complex legacy of woodcarving from the late nineteenth century to contemporary times. The historical trajectory, as well as the spectacular attire and equipment of sangomas, also known as traditional healers and diviners, form the subject of the fourth and last section.
