Have you included names and dates?

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Deborah Bell

Journey Pot IV

1999

76 cm high and 32 cm in diameter.

Made of terracotta clay (kiln and pit-fired), fat & wax, charcoal and graphite, wire and kiln cement.

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Bell is a South African woman artist who is strongly influenced by the forms, materials and belief systems of Africa.

Compiled by Neith Moore

Have you related Bell's intention to the theme?

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Bell has looked at the ancient African tradition of the clay pot, and has developed this into a ‘prayer for her country’. She has done this by increasing the scale, and by adding a figurative sculpture to the sealed lid on top. The pot acts as a base for the sculpture.

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She has changed the traditional utilitarian function of the beer pot into a ‘pure’ sculpture as the pot cannot be used - it is too big and is also sealed shut. However, it seems to hold hope and promise for the country and also for the status of women - the traditional makers of beer pots.

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The sculptural figure of the burdened woman on the ‘lid’ emphasizes the important role of women as the strength of the country, and empowers them by acknowledging their contribution.

Have you discussed her influences?

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Bell’s pot is strongly influenced by the beer pots of Africa. In KZN, the pots of the Nala family give us an idea of this connection.

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An uphiso by Jabu Nala (Nesta Nala’s daughter) shows the earthiness of the red clay of Africa with the smoke blackened surface so beloved by the amadlozi - the ancestors. Pots like these had a social life in that they were important in all Zulu celebrations and so had far more than just a functional purpose - they were full of social and sacred meaning.

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Bell references these traditions to give cultural significance to her ‘pot’ sculpture.

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Have you related the materials and techniques used to an African crafter?

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Bell and the Nala family use similar materials and techniques. The red terracotta clay is from the soil of Africa although Bell probably got it directly from the commercial Corobrick ‘mines’, while Nesta Nala used to dig it from the Tugela valley near her home. The coiling technique is the same and the decorative elements of amasumpa (‘warts’ or ‘bumps’) were added when the pots were leatherhard.

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Using coils to build a pot.

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Grooves were incised into the pot and sculptural elements (such as Bell’s handles) were added at this stage. Burnishing with a hard object was also done then.

Nala fired her dry pots in a pit with aloe leaves, but Bell may have used a kiln. The smoke firing which blackens the work was done by both, although Bell seems to have used charcoal and graphite as well. This MAY have been used on the figure which looks like it could have been constructed in kiln cement on a wire armature - less risk of breaking in the kiln. This would have been done AFTER firing. The fat and wax add to the polished effect as well sealing the pot (as if it were to be used for beer).

Have you related some of the obvious elements and principles to Africa?

Form is an important element of Bell’s work. The pregnant sphere of the base is topped by the strong figure of a woman carrying a heavy load. The sphere suggests abundance and fertility but it is sealed and cannot be opened! This paradox gives us an impression that hope is contained within as a prayer. The enlarged Scale is also important in emphasizing the meaning.

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Amasumpa ‘bumps’ in a pyramid pattern on a traditional ukhamba by Nesta Nala

The earthy brown-red (terracotta) colour of the pot suggests the richness and abundance of the soil of Africa, while the smokey black is a colour sacred to the ancestors and so connects the pots to the belief systems of Africa. Bell’s belief in reincarnation allows her to feel her past connections to Africa.

The texture of the amasumpa suggest a wealth of cattle (a traditional meaning) while also providing a non-slip grip. Bell also roughly scratches the belly of the pot to contrast with the smooth burnished and polished surface of the neck (see detail).

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