This milk pail (ithunga) with its tall, svelte form, is suggestive of the nubile female body, a sense heightened by breast-shaped lugs positioned in the upper third of the vessel. The raised rectangular fields of ‘bumps’ (amasumpa) on what could be considered the hips and upper abdominal region of the form are reminiscent of the scarification that adorned women’s bodies in the past. These are linked to the same motif on some pottery objects and other types of carved objects from Zulu-speaking communities.

Elegant and cylindrical, this vessel swells gently outwards from its narrow foot, reaching its broadest dimension at one quarter of its height from where it tapers inwards towards its upper rim. It was carved by men and used mainly by young boys who milked the cows seated on a low stool. The pail would be grasped firmly between their knees and the sacred white liquid directed into its narrow opening. The projecting lugs in the upper quarter of the form provided the knees with a secure hold, as did the textured surface of the container.

When full, it was carried above the head in respect to the ancestors and so that no dirt could contaminate it. The milk was decanted into gourd or skin containers kept in the female area of the homestead where women oversaw its fermentation into amasi, similar to yogurt or cottage cheese, a staple food. Milk in its raw state was seldom consumed.

‍