Info For Y'all Makonde People: Eastward Africa`S Primary Carvers Too Slave Resistance Tribe

The Makonde people are Bantu-speaking people of East Africa that successfully resisted predation past times African, Arab, together with European slavers together with live inwards southeast Tanzania together with northern Mozambique. They did non autumn nether colonial mightiness until the 1920s. The Makonde developed their civilization on the Mueda Plateau inwards Mozambique. On top of the plataeu are dense thickets  from which the Makonde acquire their call “thicket-covered plateau” (Stoner, 9). 

                  Makonde fille alongside a facial torso painting

At nowadays they live throughout Tanzania together with Mozambique together with have got a pocket-sized presence inwards Kenya. Makonde live on both sides of the river Ruvuma, which forms the border betwixt Tanzania together with Mozambique. The Makonde population inwards Tanzania was estimated inwards 2001 to live 1,140,000, together with the 1997 census inwards Mozambique pose the Makonde population inwards that dry ground at 233,358, for a total gauge of 1,373,358 (Grimes 2001). The plateaus, on which most Makonde live, rising either side of the Ruvuma from sea flat to an height of ca. 900m. 

                                 Makonde man

The Makonde of Mozambique live inwards the north-east of the Province of Cabo Delgado, the bulk of the Makonde of Tanzania live inwards ii of the iii districts of the Mtwara Region: Mtwara together with Newala. In the 3rd district, Masasi, Makonde live side past times side to Makua together with Yao. The northern neighbours of the Makonde inwards the Lindi Region are the Mwera.

                       Makonde tribe kid

The Makonde plateau inwards Tanzania extends almost 180 km from due east to west, together with almost fourscore km from due south to north. It is a dry out area, covered alongside dense bush together with scattered high trees. There are a number of wood reserves together with ii lakes, together with the highest mountains are situated inwards the north-west. Makonde agency ‘dry areas’, together with at that topographic point is a singular shape /Likonde, which is also the call of several villages on the plateau.
The Makonde of Tanzania are divided into iii main groups: the Nnima people who live inwards the north-west of the plateau, the Ndonde people who live on the south-west of the plateau, together with the Maraba people who live close the Ruvuma together with along the coast aswell every bit on the eastern part of the plateau. The Maraba are part  of the Swahili coastal culture, which side past times side to their Makonde origin determines their cultural together with historical
identity, reflected inwards their organized faith (Islam), their line-fishing practices, the way they clothing together with their language, which is strongly influenced past times Swahili. There is some other grouping that claim to live part of the Makonde people: the Matambwe. They live close the Ruvuma side past times side to the Ndonde alongside whom they intermarry.

Language
They verbalise Makonde, also known every bit ChiMakonde, a Bantu linguistic communication closely related to Yao. Many verbalise other languages such every bit English linguistic communication inwards Tanzania, Portuguese inwards Mozambique, together with Swahili together with Makua inwards both countries.

                                 Makonde adult woman wears a lip plug alongside boom together with many facial tattoos.
                                 Location: Mozambique.Photographer:VOLKMAR K. WENTZEL/
                                 National Geographic Stock


Migration together with History
It is view past times most historians that the Makonde migrated to their electrical current location during the 1700s together with 1800s from the Ndonde expanse of northern Mozambique.   By 1800 the Portuguese noted that the Mueda Plateau was existence populated past times Makonde.  There are in all probability wellness reasons that led the Makonde to settle on the plateau.  On the plains, peculiarly close the Ruvuma River, at that topographic point are mosquitoes that send malaria, tsetse flies that send sleeping sickness,  and bilharzia is oftentimes inwards the water.  There is also the threat of flooding together with animate existence attacks close inwards the river.  Their creation myth indicates similar reasons for their migration to the plateau. According to the main version of the story,

    "The inaugural of all Makonde settled along the Ruvuma River.  He was non yet fully a human existence and came out of the thick bush. The human was unwashed together with unshaven; he did non eat or drinkable really much. One twenty-four hr menstruum he carved a human figure from wood together with set it upright inwards the bush. During the night, the icon came to life together with became a woman. The adult woman became the man’s wife. Together, the yoke washed for the inaugural of all fourth dimension inwards the Ruvuma River.

On the banking concern of the river, the adult woman delivered a stillborn child. They traveled a niggling farther, whether the adult woman delivered some other soundless born child. Finally, they traveled to the plateau, where the adult woman gave nativity to a 3rd child. That kid survived. Over time, the yoke had many other children on the plateau. These children became the inaugural of all ancestors of the Makonde.

The manlike mortal parent ordered his descendants to bury anyone who died inwards an upright seat inwards retentiveness of his wife.  She had come upwards live when the wooden figure of her was set upright, together with she had acquire the woman parent of all the Makonde. He also warned them against settling inwards the valleys together with close large current because sickness together with decease lived there. Each village, he said, should live at to the lowest degree a one-hour walk from the nearest source of water. If they lived whatsoever closer, they would live plagued past times disease together with death.” (Stoner,11)

Health reasons were non the only ground for their migration.  The Ngoni, a people fleeing state of war inwards Zululand, began to raid the Makonde for dry ground together with slaves. Many battles were fought together with prisoners were taken on both sides, but the Makonde were likewise well-defended together with the Ngoni could non defeat them. During this menstruum Makonde villages are known to have got been fortified alongside a thick barrier of impenetrable thicket called a lingongo (plural: mangongo). In improver to planting mangongo closed to villages, the Makonde also hid their villages inwards the most impenetrable parts of the bush together with cuts mazes of a fake paths, inwards a places set inwards concealed spikes inwards monastic state to hinder the progress of the enemy. The plateau alongside its thick bush protected the Makonde from slavery together with war.

                                         Makonde dancers

But if the Makonde has a reputation for fierceness together with inhospitability, thus it plainly played a role inwards their survival together with inwards the preservation of their special identity. Thus, inwards 1882 Joseph Tompson wrote that "They (the Makonde) are noted every bit the most exclusive tribe inwards East Africa, every bit fifty-fifty the Arabs have got every bit yet been unable to penetrate beyond the outskirts of their country." O`Neill (1885) describes a province of affairs which shows Makonde aversion to slave trading practise of the due east coast inwards which several Makonde "chiefs" were apparently combining forces to inwards monastic state to brand state of war on a Makonde "chief" (Mkopoka) who has sold his swain to coastal slave traders.
                        "I institute Mkopoka simply ane of those whom the coast native traders similar to discover at the
                         head of affairs......Led past times them, it appeared he had been guilty of kidnapping some
                         of his ain tribe, together with selling them to slavery. By his ain people he was evidently 
                        starting fourth dimension to live considered every bit a renegade, together with during my remain at his hamlet women
                        were taking flying coast wards, every bit it was rumoured that state of war was to live made upon him,
                        inwards revenge for his conduct, past times several of Mavia (makonde) chiefs."                                                             
                        
Most contact that the Makonde had alongside Europeans was unpleasant.  They inaugural of all came nether High German influence closed to inwards the 1890′s.  The only sign of High German presence was to collect taxes.  In 1905 the Makonde were apart of the  Maji-Maji Rebellion  to resist High German rule; inwards this they attacked Christian mission stations inwards the Lukuledi Valley, together with they defended their plateau nether their leader Hamadi. This rebellion was crushed inwards 1906.

In WWI the British took Tanzania, thus called High German East Africa, together with renamed it Tanganika.  The Makonde also resisted British dominion past times non paying taxes or obeying their rulers. Famine struck inwards 1915 during the war.  Many Makonde died when they were struck past times pocket-sized pox together with the Castilian Flu.

         Tattooed Makonde adult woman from Mozambique learning how to knit.VOLKMAR K. WENTZEL/National Geographic Stock

Another impactful trial experienced past times the Makonde is the Groundnut Scheme in 1947.  A British official decided to bulk make peanuts inwards Tanzania to feed into the crude oil marketplace inwards Britain.  Many Makonde people were recruited to piece of work on this project; they benefited some from the payoff but at that topographic point were drawback inwards crimes. They continued resistance (mostly non-violent) to British dominion until Tanzania’s independence inwards 1964
.

During the 1960s the revolution which drove the Portuguese out of Mozambique was launched from the Makonde homeland of the Mueda Plateau. At ane menstruum this revolutionary motion known every bit 'Frelimo' derived a part of its fiscal back upwards from the sale of Makonde carvings. 

                                 Makonde adult woman dancer from Mozambique. By plinmoz


Economy

Most Makonde are farmers; they practise what is called “stump cultivation.” In this stumps are left inwards fields to render back upwards for vines together with to foreclose erosion.  Makonde usually cultivate a few fields piece leaving several fallow to replenish themselves.  The men are also taught to hunt.  Some Makonde men are blacksmiths together with carvers; they sell their piece of work to tourists together with fine art dealers.

                                                        Makonde carver

The Makonde also have got ii main cash crops.  The inaugural of all is cashews which falls to the footing when ripe thus it only has to live planted together with harvested. There is also sisal which is a fiber that makes rope together with twine.  Some Makonde piece of work on sisal together with cashew plantations together with do non have got land.  These cash crops have got introduced private holding into Makonde society.  With this the mightiness of the hamlet elderberry (mkulungwa), who controlled the land,  has been weakened.  The introduction of taxes has also changed Makonde society.  By existence forced to pay coin many Makonde have got had to piece of work on plantations for depression wages.

                           Makonde adult woman together with a potter from Mozambique

Kinship
The Makonde are a matrilineal gild which agency that they draw their solid unit of measurement line through their mother.  Because of this men go to live inwards the hamlet of their wife’s family.  Many men have got several wives together with this causes them to displace betwixt different villages.  However Makonde civilization is increasingly manlike mortal dominated every bit they acquire wage earners inwards towns together with cities.  This modify has lessened the relaxation of mightiness together with caused, amid other things, women to displace to the villages of the men.

                         Makonde adult woman from Mozambique alongside lip plug

Each Makonde grouping consists of several clans, which inwards plough consist of several extended families.The most of import human of the solid unit of measurement used to live the njomba, the elderberry blood brother of the mother. Clans are headed past times a principal who is appointed past times his predecessor who usually chooses his sister’s boy called mwipwawe. 

                                                Makonde elder

Currently at that topographic point are no chiefs amid the Makonde together with people are nether the potency of their  kinship grouping or litawa.  The mwenyekaya is the caput of the litawa.  The chirambo is an organizational unit of measurement based to a greater extent than on geography than kinship.  The chirambo is usually atomic number 82 past times an elderberry (mkulungwa) of ane of the inaugural of all migrant kinship groups to the area.  The mkulungwa is held inwards high esteem for his wisdom but he has niggling formal authority.   Some of his jobs include allotting dry ground to migrants, offering advise, or securing the hamlet wellness past times appeasing the spirits together with ancestors.

Passage of rites

Boy’s initiation (jando)which includes circumcision, is the most of import ceremony for boys.  The leader of this ceremony is called the mkukomela, or the Hammerer; he holds the handbasket (cihelo) alongside the sacred medicines, carries a swatter (mcila), together with wears charms (ihiridi) on his upper arm.  This is a good paid professional person position.

An of import give the axe is lit inwards the middle of the hamlet which is expected to burn downward during the whole ceremony.  Drummers render the musical rhythm out for dancing before the ceremony.  On the twenty-four hr menstruum of the circumcision the boys are taken out inwards the dry ground side to have got the operation; afterward they live nether a shelter (likumbi). During the healing procedure the boys are taught past times the men almost hunting, farming, together with sex; they are also  They are taught community morals similar respecting their elders.  This ceremony tests the youth’s dependent together with obedience.  After the boys heal they go out the likumbi together with burn downward it downward alongside the give the axe from the hamlet center.  Upon graduation the boys have a novel call together with acquire men.

                     Makonde adult woman alongside facial marks together with lip plug

The girls initiation (ciputu) is less formal.  A woman mortal elderberry instructs the immature women together with chooses a solid to conduct ceremony.  Young girls are taken into the initiation solid for several days of instruction, singing together with other activities.  After this the girls are led identify past times their mothers for a menstruum of seclusion.  Then they are taken dorsum to the ciputu solid to live bathed.  On the side past times side morning time the girls go out the solid for concluding instruction on sex, marriage, together with women’s duties.  At graduation they are anointed alongside oil, dressed inwards novel clothes, together with render home.  The procedure is completed alongside a special mdimu dance.  The historic menstruum of this ceremony was closed to 10-12 but today women are choosing teaching before early on marriage.

                                                Dancer alongside Makonde mask. By plinmoz

The mapiko mask trip the calorie-free fantastic toe is an of import chemical ingredient inwards these are other of import Makonde ceremonies. They are worn past times men who trip the calorie-free fantastic toe to display their mightiness together with to scare women together with children.  During the boys initiation ceremony the mapiko dancer reveals his identity to the boys; inwards this the dancer symbolically reveals the secretes of manhood.

                                  Mapiko dance

Marriage
In matrilineal Makonde society, woman mortal lineages owned the land. When a human married, he went to live on the dry ground that belongs to the wife`s family, or moves betwixt the households of several wives. These agency Makonde people practices polygynous together with unmarried marriages. 

courtesy:www.larskrutak.com

Currently, the Makonde men have got stopped going to live on their wife`s solid unit of measurement dry ground every bit they have got acquire wage earners. Woman`s solid unit of measurement at nowadays receives a shape of dowry called "paying the rifle" for their daughters inwards a instance of possible marriage.


                                         Makonde woman
Source:http://makondeland.wordpress.com/makonde-people/

Background of the Makonde sculpture (by the Tanzanian creative mortal Prof. Elias Jengo)

Modern Makonde sculpture is thus called inwards monastic state to separate it from the traditional Makonde sculpture that is used inwards rituals such every bit the masks used inwards the boys together with girls initiation ceremonies. However, because of the impairment done past times Christian together with Moslem missionaries early on inwards the nineteenth century, most local people soundless human face at all forms of modern Makonde sculpture every bit representing objects of worship.

                        Makonde sculpture on display

The names kinyago (fetish) or vinyago (fetishes) which the Kiswahili speaking people wrongly telephone band modern Makonde sculpture, is the resultant of this early on misunderstanding created past times the early on missionaries. They burnt most of the sculpture they institute for fright that their converts  would worship them. The impact of this early on indoctrination tin can live seen fifty-fifty today when ane visits homes of most Africans, fifty-fifty the educated ones. Sculpture inwards the circular is seldom institute inwards their homes.

This article is an essay to hash out some electrical current issues associated alongside the rising of the modern Makonde sculpture motion inwards Tanzania. We may start alongside the number of the founders of the movement. It has often  been asked whether the Tanzania  Makonde people had always had a sculpture tradition. They had, together with at that topographic point is plenty evidence which proves that before the migration of the Mozambique Makonde into Tanzania, the Tanzania Makonde were producing fine wooden pectus plates, mapiko (masks) together with figurines. During the colonial era, the Tanzanian Makonde living at Mtwara used to telephone band themselves  Wamakonde Wamalaba  (The urbanized Makonde) piece the migrant Makonde were derogatively called Wamawia (the tearing ones). The Wamalaba do not  tattoo their bodies, the Mawia  soundless do peculiarly inwards some remote rural areas.These are the creative ones, although their descendants no longer discover scarification of import every bit an ethnic identity.

The ii groups of Makonde have got lived inwards ii distinct environments that shaped their creative lives. The Mozambican Makonde had lived on the Mueda plateau almost inaccessible past times an average local invader. The Tanzanian Makonde people lived non far from the Indian body of body of water shores where invaders could attain them easily. And reaching them easily they did which changed their creative personalities.

The rigid ethnic identity that the Mueda plateau helped to cement resulted also inwards the evolution of a sculpture tradition to satisfy some  traditional functions. Such traditional rituals every bit initiation of boys together with girls into manhood together with womanhood demanded carved objects. The girls are usually given a carved wooden doll to send it  closed to alongside them on their bodies every bit a good-luck charm. The boys have got to create do a mapiko masker every bit part of the circumcision ceremony.

The Eight Major Makonde Styles

The Mozambican Makonde sculptors tend to discover their traditional beliefs, folklore, rituals and  many other cultural practices that  are projected inwards the sculpture they create. This is reflected inwards all the viii major styles starting alongside the Binadamu trend which Nyekenya Nangundu is said to have got introduced inwards the early on 1930s inwards Mozambique.

                                   Makonde motherhood figure

Dimoongo
A trend called  Dimoongo (power of strength) which a local political zealot afterwards named it Ujamaa, was introduced past times the belatedly Roberto Yakobo Sangwani who migrated into Tanzania from Mozambique inwards the belatedly 1950s. The original trend represented a winner inwards a wrestling gibe who was carried shoulder high past times his colleagues represented inwards a cluster of figures. Some afterwards versions were carved showing a woman mortal figure at the top of a cluster of figures. This was the starting fourth dimension of a trend known every bit the Makonde solid unit of measurement tree.

Shetani
Perhaps the most pop trend is the Shetani created past times Samaki Likankoa inwards the 1960s. There are different theories regarding the factors that brought almost this sort of style. The most mutual ane comes from the patron of Samaki, Mohamed Peera, who used to sell most of the piece of work produced inwards the early on 1960s to the early on 1970s. According to Peera, Samaki brought to him a realistic carving that had accidentally savage downward together with split into ii halves leaving ane eye, ane ear, ane olfactory organ opening, ane leg together with ane arm on each half. Peera suggested to Samaki to essay carving  a sculpture alongside unmarried torso parts. Samaki agreed together with brought the piece of work to Peera”s store which was right away sold together with he was encouraged to carve some more.

Mawingu
Clements Ngala was discouraged past times Peera to re-create Samaki’s style. He came upwards alongside an original trend which he called Mawingu.This is most clearly expressed from the next quote from Kingdon (2002:89):
 Mohamed told Clements non to re-create Samaki’s piece of work together with instead to carve inwards his ain style. So Clements thus came upwards alongside an original carving of a human-like figure without a human face upwards wearing a sort of headdress. In its correct hand, which was raised, was the ’ moon’ together with inwards his left hand, which was lowered, it held ‘the earth’. Clements called his novel carving mawingu together with he told Peera that he got the view from watching early on morning
clouds.

Giligia
Finally nosotros come upwards to a master copy sculptor, Chanuo Maundu, who came upwards alongside iv styles namely, Giligia, Kimbulumbulu, Mandandosa,and Tumbatumba  all  inspired past times traditional beliefs. Giligia is characterized past times a figure alongside large protruding oculus together with frightening teeth that projection outside. This sculpture is based on the fright experienced when ane walks lone inwards the forest.The discussion kuligia  agency ’ to live startled’ inwards the Makonde language.

Kimbulumbulu
Kimbulumbulu appeared inwards the early on 1990s, an anthropomorphic sculpture  that displays facial features inwards an abstract format; a large eye, olfactory organ together with oral cavity carved together with placed non inwards their normal positions, legs from a shape that resembles a head. It is a sculpture that represents a mortal alongside a nervous behavior who does non consummate things properly.The Makonde discussion ‘kuumbuluka’ a nervous behaviour, is where the sculptor saw fit to base of operations his creation.

Mandandosa
The Mandandosa trend correspond an evil spirit that is kept past times sorcerers to do harm to victims inwards gild .In the former days when the Makonde were involved in  solid unit of measurement vendetta, the mandandosa were used every bit surreptitious weapons .The sculpture is characterized past times a unmarried large oculus that was used inwards spying on enemy dwellings.

Tumbatumba
Lastly the Tumbatumba trend which Chauno introduced inwards the mid-1980s. This trend is dominated past times a gourd-like construction that is decorated alongside incised patterns resembling the tattoos the Makonde pose on their bodies.According to Kingdon (2002: 194) Chanuo carved a figure alongside the view of a situmba (gourd), but the figure became one-half a gourd together with one-half something else.

http://www.tanzanian-art.de/service/the-makonde-by-prof-e-jengo.html)

Tattoo Anthropology - Dinembo: Tribal Tattoos of the Makonde

by Mission Bill Apprentice, Artist

Dinembo: Tribal Tattoos of the Makonde

© 2006 past times Lars Krutak
Among the Bantu-speaking Makonde, tattoos were together with go on to live far to a greater extent than elaborate than those of other indigenous peoples living inwards Mozambique. The resonance of tattooing tradition hither tin can partly live attributed to the landscape inwards which the Makonde inhabit, a identify characterized past times relatively inaccessible high plateaus that deterred European together with Western contact until the plough of the 20th century; together with also to Makonde cosmology together with myth which to this twenty-four hr menstruum praises the deeds, knowledge, together with superior physical attributes of the "great" ancestors of the past, peculiarly tattooed women who became god-like after death.
Traditionally, Makonde tattoos were considered every bit regional indicators together with each tribe preferred specific motifs that were set downward inwards a diversity of set patterns. The human face upwards together with other parts of the torso contained chevrons, angles, zigzag together with directly lines alongside an occasional circle, diamond, dot, or animate existence figure. Today these patterns have got remained largely intact since each generation of Makonde tattooists has only slightly modified their oeuvre, obeying traditional principles that guide their work. To date, the only major innovation inside tattooing tradition is the technology scientific discipline itself; together with the former triangular tattoo knife has been replaced past times a finer razor-bladed model that cuts the pare to a greater extent than evenly together with accurately.

MAKONDE TATTOOISTS together with THEIR CLIENTS

Generally speaking, Makonde men tattoo boys together with women the girls although overlap betwixt the sexes does occur to some degree. Makonde tattoo artists are "professionals" who acquire their skills usually from their parents or from other solid unit of measurement members. The full general Makonde term for tattoo is dinembo ("design" or "decoration") together with the tattooing procedure usually requires iii or to a greater extent than sessions alongside the mpundi wa dinembo ("tattoo blueprint artist") to make the desired result. After the cuts have got been made alongside the traditional tattoo implements (chipopo), vegetable carbon is rubbed into the incisions producing a dark blueish color.
Tattoo clients, who pay a nominal fee, are held downward inwards a spread-eagle fashion. Just before the tattoo creative mortal begins to ply her tool, she mentally records which designs she volition mark. Moving carefully over the skin, she cuts thus presses the pigment to the injure until she has finished, leaving the customer to dry out her wounds inwards the afternoon sun. After several days, the human face upwards is washed together with the dark lines created past times the pigment at nowadays get down to demo to a greater extent than clearly. Six months later, the entire procedure is repeated again, but alongside each successive tattoo layer, a greater relief pattern appears. Finally, a 3rd performance is made which completes the work.
Some girls lose their courage when it is fourth dimension for the instant or 3rd performance together with they never consummate the painful tattooing. Those who run away are ridiculed together with fifty-fifty threatened past times the adult woman who acts every bit their "godmother" during the dinembo rite, because for the Makonde the tattoo ritual is a sign of courage together with "To Show I am a Makonde."

Spanning the facial expanse to a higher identify the oral cavity together with across the cheeks together with nose, lichumba ("deep angles") score nearly all tattooed Makonde men together with women. Lichumba are almost every bit mutual every bit the woman’s ndona, or upper lip labret. Photographs ca. 1960. Two Makonde women & ane alongside elaborate dorsum tattooing comprised of palm frond motifs, ca. 1930. Postcard from the collection of the author. For the Makonde, tattooing had various functions ranging from the personal demand to display, to the advertisement of grouping cohesion (e.g., initiation, rite of passage), together with to other to a greater extent than esoteric magico-religious principles. Photographs ca. 1960.

The "magical" mankani tattoo ensured fertility together with perhaps provided protection against evil spirits. "Magical" lizard tattoos were sometimes worn on the chests together with backs of Makonde men together with women. In some sense,  they were believed to heighten virility for men together with fertility for women. Makonde women alongside ndona (labret), forehead,  chin, cheek, together with sternum tattoos. The labret is  made of dark ebony alongside an upright needle  passing closed to the nose, a sign that the fille is of marriageable age. Photograph ca. 1960.

TATTOO MOTIFS

Common decorative motifs such every bit spiders (lidangadanga), crocodiles (nantchiwanuwe), together with fifty-fifty yucca root bundles (nkaña) may have got had magical associations inwards the past. And today Makonde women go on to believe that the tattoos placed on their abdomen (mankani) together with inner thighs (nchika) have got the supernatural mightiness to attract a husband. Of course, the motifs used to decorate these areas, usually palm tress or their fruit (nadi) together with peculiarly lizards (magwañula), are believed to heighten fertility.

However, the Makonde practise of tattooing the omphalos together with pubic areas was perhaps related to the long-standing tradition of safe "magic" aimed at warding off penetration or possession past times evil forces that targeted vulnerable torso passageways, namely the natural openings of the body. Armitage (1924) cites several instances of omphalos scarification amid Bantu-speaking Gonja together with Dagomba women inwards Republic of Ghana "put on to ward off or foreclose sickness" piece the anthropologists Nevadomsky together with Aisien (1995) described 5 tattoos stemming from the omphalos ("the centre of life") amid the Bini women of Benin. Not surprisingly, the Bini prepared their tattoo pigments from leaves together with lampblack, together with at funerals mourners "rub a line of lamp-black on their foreheads to scare away the spirit of the deceased who tries to drag his relatives alongside him to the public of the dead."

SPIRITUAL LIFE of the MAKONDE

The Makonde adhered to a cosmology dominated past times a powerful impersonal strength (ntela), the propitiation of ancestral spirits (mahoka) who were sometimes skillful or evil, together with a concept of pervasive bush spirits (nnandenga) together with sorcerers who were a shape of malevolence.
The spirits of ancestors were oftentimes called upon to send cures for sickness, together with to ensure success inwards the harvest or inwards hunting. Mahoka also served every bit intermediaries betwixt the living together with Nnungu, a powerful deity who was invoked during major droughts when the Makonde collectively prayed for rain.

On the malevolent order, spirits of the dead called mapiko only terrorized women together with the non-initiated, piece sorcerers created invisible slaves from humans called lindandosa that were sent to the agricultural fields to piece of work their evil magic.
Because excessive fright of decease pervaded Makonde belief, its stigma had to live controlled or pre-empted because it threatened the basic assumptions of cosmic monastic state on which gild rested. Thus, every adult woman understood that her participation inwards gild could provoke the negative intervention of powerful spiritual forces made manifest every bit mahoka, nnandenga, lindandosa, or mapiko who were the ultimate guarantors of social, physical, together with economical survival. In this sense, Makonde tattoo arts were an of import tool for fostering productive interaction betwixt human beings together with spirits, because it is clear that the designs repeatedly tattooed on women helped to secure their commitment to the potencies that convey forth life together with to the socialization procedure of initiation itself. Tattoos also constructed a mutual visual linguistic communication through which these relationships could live tangibly expressed together with mediated to render the private wearer alongside a agency to command her surrounding world.
Similarly, Makonde sculpture together with to a greater extent than utilitarian objects similar gourds (situmba) together with H2O pots, which embody feminine together with reproductive qualities, symbolically reinforced this commitment to monastic state together with stability because they were oftentimes decorated alongside tattoo designs. As "ancestral implements" used for carrying water, beer, honey, together with seeds for planting, gourds were considered to live woman mortal symbols par excellence. And similar the tattooed bodies of Makonde women, they acted every bit conduits through which symbolic pregnant poured; pregnant that connected the human, spiritual, together with ancestral communities of the Makonde of Mozambique.   

LITERATURE

Armitage, C.H. (1924)
The Tribal Markings together with Marks of Adornment of the Natives of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast Colony. London: Harrison together with Sons, Ltd.

Dias, Jorge together with Margot Dias (1964)
Os Macondes de Moçambique. 4 vols. Lisboa: Centro de Estudios de Antropologia Cultural.

Nevadomsky, Joseph together with Ekhaguosa Aisien (1995)
"The Clothing of Political Identity: Costume together with Scarification of the Republic of Benin Kingdom." African Arts 28(1): 62-73, 100. 

    makonde women circa 1910

Schneider, Betty (1973)
"Body Decoration inwards Mozambique." African Arts 6(2): 26-31, 88, 92.   
source:http://www.tattoolikes.com/article/tattoo-anthropology-dinembo-tribal-tattoos-of-the-makonde.html

 Makonde woodcarvings symbolizes African traditional civilization

By Emmanuel Oyango

AMONG the major representatives of Tanzanian figurative fine art are the Makonde people, who are renowned throughout East Africa for their original together with oftentimes highly fanciful carvings. Authentic Makonde carvings are made from ebony wood. The Makonde are ane of the 5 major tribes inwards Tanzania who originally migrated due north from Mozambique to the southern Tanzanian highlands. They are internationally famous for their intricate carvings, based on Life, Love, Good together with Evil together with which shape their beliefs almost the origins of man. The Makonde people had a traditional tale that "In the beginning, at that topographic point was a man, who lived lone inwards a wild identify together with was lonely. One twenty-four hr menstruum he took a slice of wood together with shaped it alongside a tool into a figure. He placed the figure inwards the Sun past times his dwelling. Night savage together with when the Sun rose ane time to a greater extent than the figure was a adult woman together with she became his wife. They conceived together with a kid was born, but after iii days it died. 'Let us displace from the river to a higher identify where the reed beds grow.' Said the wife. And this they did. Again she conceived together with a kid was born, but after iii days it, too, died. Again the adult woman said 'Let us displace to yet higher footing where the thick bush grows.' Once to a greater extent than they moved. H5N1 3rd fourth dimension they conceived together with a kid was born. The kid lived, together with he was the inaugural of all Makonde."

The carvings are peradventure the greatest fine art forms which originate from Tanzania together with are considered the most positive together with uninhibited of all East African art. For centuries their figures carved from Mpingo or Ebony have got played a key role inwards their ceremonies.
Today the carvings soundless maintain the traditional elements of the human storey inwards a tribal setting although many of the carvers have got inevitably been influenced past times the Western demand for their products. It is slow to discover what is classed every bit "Modern Makonde" which is aimed purely at the tourist marketplace together with is basically Modigliani inwards style.
Mpingo bark is a calorie-free color nether which is a pocket-sized layer of white soft wood. The pump wood, however, is really difficult together with varies inwards color from a deep cherry to dark depending on the soil type together with historic menstruum of the tree. 

When finished, the carvings are polished together with the wood quite literally shines. Again, due mainly to the tourist trade, the carvers also usage other types of wood such every bit kokosnoot together with some have got also learnt to carve inwards rock together with coral.
Makonde sculpture, former together with modern, represents an artistic tradition which evolved inwards answer to the historical together with economical forces affecting the Makonde people throughout the twentieth century, peculiarly after the 1930s.
It is a storey which unfolds inwards opposite chronology from the contemporary internationally known modern Makonde sculpture to its historical together with cultural antecedents almost which less has been written or is known.
Makonde sculpture dates dorsum inwards the yr 1930s when the inaugural of all exhibition was held at Centro Cultural dos Novos inwards Mozambique. However, it was inwards Tanzania, where many Mozambique Makonde ethnic grouping had emigrated inwards search for work, that involvement inwards their sculpture every bit a commodity arose.

A typical Makonde sculpture of the original Makonde people who are fond of making tattoos on their faces (photo pose side)

The Indian merchant Peera was instrumental inwards encouraging this development. Using the difficult wood mpingo (Dalbergia Melanoxylon), Manguli Istiwawo, Pajume Allale, Roberto Jacobs, together with others carved inwards what has acquire known every bit the "tree of life".
Modern Makonde fine art derives from the Makonde people living on the plateau due south of the Ruvuma river inwards Mozambique (rather than from the Tanzanian Makonde). They migrated due north into Tanzania together with entered into the curio merchandise that began to emerge inwards the 1950s together with 1960s inwards Dar es Salaam together with Mtwara respectively.
During this fourth dimension many Makonde farmers inwards northern Mozambique took upwards woodcarving to sell together with supplement their incomes, this was encouraged past times the FRELIMO liberation movement, which organized cooperative marketing of these carvings inwards Tanzania.
Their novel sculptural forms grew naturally out of older traditions of woodcarving, different the Tanzanian Makonde, who had no existent carving tradition. Modern Makonde sculptures attain from curios of the aerodrome diversity to genuinely fine sculptures of imagination together with artistry, but the reality of their production for commercial purposes is ane that cannot live ignored.
Coote discusses the materials, techniques, styles together with genres. In improver to traditional carving (especially masks alongside typical Makonde scarification), at that topographic point are iii identifiable modern styles, these are referred to every bit ‘binadamu, ujamaa, together with shetani’.

The iii correspond perfectly alongside the characteristics sought past times Western fine art consumers of "erotic" fine art a displace to naturalism, giganticism together with grotesqueness. Shetani sculptures were ane time view to live the excogitation of ane man,
Of course, the modern Makonde woodcarving tradition goes dorsum good before the state of war of liberation, but the state of war together with its aftermath served every bit a genuine impetus. The trend of the figures also changed, going from the before naturalistic rather benign figures to to a greater extent than distorted, satirical or somber depictions. The so-called ujamaa sculptures or inwards Portuguese "unidade de povo" appointment from the days of the liberation struggle. The "shetani" trend originated alongside Samaki, but was apace imitated together with shortly became a pop together with successful commodity inwards the markets of Dar es Salaam together with Nairobi. Following independence inwards Mozambique inwards 1975, official recognition on the part of the authorities has farther encouraged this modern tradition of sculpture.
The shetani sculptures from Mozambique differed from those inwards Tanzania, the latter were to a greater extent than sexually explicit together with grotesque, existence exclusively for the unusual tourist market. The FRELIMO philosophy also mitigated or "tamed" the influence of the manlike mortal masquerade mapico (mapiko), which came to live seen every bit essentially oppressive to women. The mapico was "liberated" together with became a cultural symbol for Mozambique; it is danced on national days together with has fifty-fifty appeared on a postage stamp stamp. The Makonde are, of course, famous for the wood carvings which acquit their name. The tradition has existed amid them for at to the lowest degree iii centuries, when examples were brought dorsum past times Arab traders. It is probable that the tradition is much older than that.
Originally naturalistic together with impregnated alongside meaning, the carvings are at nowadays to a greater extent than oftentimes than non to a greater extent than abstract, inwards keeping alongside the tastes of tourists together with collectors. The ane thing the carvings have got inwards mutual is that they are invariably carved from a unmarried slice of wood, no affair how intricate the design. The wood traditionally used comes from the African Blackwood tree (Dalbergia Melanoxylon), also known every bit "Mozambique Ebony". It is extremely fine-grained together with dark inwards colour, together with thus ideally-suited for carving.

The best-known works are the 'tree of life' carvings inwards the ujamaa style, existence intricately carved conjunctions of interlocking human figures representing both unity together with continuity. Less well-known are the ritual masks, which were used past times dancers who embody the forms of spirits together with ancestors. Earlier Makonde carvings to a greater extent than oftentimes than non depicted to a greater extent than traditional themes, oftentimes relating to various deities or rituals. Even today, the Makonde make carvings of ordinary household objects such every bit bowls together with walking sticks, although these are seldom seen for sale. While it tin can live argued that the extensive commercialization of Makonde carvings has had a negative impact on artistic together with imaginative quality, it has non totally destroyed originality. On the positive side, it has had the number of securing many carvers a livelihood which they would non have got been able to accomplish otherwise. The major centers of Makonde carving inwards Tanzania are inwards the south-east on the Makonde plateau, together with inwards Dar es Salaam which became a haven for Makonde carvers during the large-scale migrations from Mozambique inwards the 1950s together with 1960s. Many Makonde migrants made their way from Mozambique into southern Tanzania, together with from at that topographic point to the capital, attracted past times amend work opportunities together with past times favorable marketing prospects for their carving. 

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