Isithebe, grinding mat with figural motifs

Notes

A woven grass mat, typically handwoven from rushes, such as ncema grass, using traditional basketry technique, used in Zulu and other southern African cultures to catch ground meal as it falls from a grinding stone. The finely woven mat is integral to the traditional food preparation process, but it also has symbolic importance in the culture.

Provenance

Michael Heuermann Collection.