Finding the best clay : experiences of rural potter Alice Gqa Nongebeza contextualised

Abstract

When creating artefacts that belong in the material world artists choose specific raw materials for particular reasons, including that selected resources are accessible and well suited to fitness for purpose and expression of intentions. Many potters in Africa are engaged in zero electricity usage ceramics practice, and each creative cycle usually starts with extracting clay from local sites according to preferences and well established procedures that may sometimes include certain rituals. Ways in which some potters who source their own clay are particular about certain factors that are thought to be capable of influencing the effectiveness of physical properties of that raw material are explored, with particular reference to what is known about the practices of Eastern Cape potter Alice Gqa Nongebeza, of Nkonxeni Village [31°37‘59.66“S, 29°23‘22.26“E], Tombo, near Port St Johns. Specific choices enacted by potters when gathering and using clayey raw materials are considered in order to better understand some aspects of conceptual and social frameworks that may influence clay extraction procedures. Thus, by means of comparisons between particular potter’s practices, as well as through analysis of interview material and observed events, this paper aims to contextualise how it transpired, inter alia, that clay seams close to the Nongebeza homestead were ignored by her in favour of a relatively distant and almost inaccessible site that yielded a particular clay well suited to her unique firing style of placing raw ware onto an already roaring bonfire, thereby effectively creating pots for daily use and enjoymentXa kusenziwa iimisebenzi yobugcisa kwihlabathi esiphila kulo amagcisa omsebenzi wezandla akhetha izixhobo ezikhethekileyo ezinjengepeyinti, inki kunye okanye nodongwe ngezizathu ezikhethekileyo kuquka nokuba ingaba ezozinto zikhethelwe ukusetyenziswa ziyafumaneka na kwaye zikwimeko nakumgangatho ohambelana neenjongo zokufezekisa lomsebenzi. Abaxongxi abaninzi e-Afrika bakwiphulo lokwenza iiselamikhi ngaphandle kokusetyenziswa kombane, kwaye umjikelo ngamnye wokwenza oko uqala ngokombiwa kodongwe kwindawo zasekuhlaleni ngokweemfuno zomntu ngamnye neziye ziquke amasiko nezithethe ezidala nezaziwayo kulondawo. Iindlela abanye abaxongxi abafumana ngayo udongwe labo ikhethekile kwaye bajonga iinto ezithile ekucingelwa ukuba zinefuthe ekuphuhliseni izinto eziqulathwe kolodongwe ziyajongwa, ingakumbi nokunxulumene nokwaziwayo ngomsemzi womxongxi waseMpuma Kapa u-Alice Gqa Nongebeza, wakwilali yase-Nkonxeni [31°37‘59.66“S, 29°23‘22.26“E], kwisithili sase- Tombo kufutshane nedolophu yasesaJonisi. Iizigqibo eziye zithathwe ngabaxongxi xa bekhangela, beqokelela nasekusebenziseni iizinto eziqulethwe lolodongwe luluhlaza zithathelwa ingqalelo khona ukuze kwaziwe ngcono ixinto ezithile eziye zibenefuthe ekombiweni kodongwe ngendlela ekhethekileyo. Ngoko ke, ngendlela yokuthelekisa phakathi kweendlela ezisetyenziswa ngumxongxi othile, kwakunye nohlalutyo lodliwano ndlebe kwakunye neziganeko ezithe zaqatshelwa, iinjongo zeliphepha kubeka elubala nokuzama ukuqonda ukuba ingaba kwenzeka njani, phakathi kwezinye iizinto, ukuba zithi zikhona iindawo ezikufutshane zokomba udongwe nomzi ka-Nongebeza zityeshelwe kukhethwe indawo ekude nekunzima ukuba kufikelelwe kuyo nevelisa udongwe oluthile nolulungele indlela yakhe engaqhelekanga yokubeka olodongwe luluhlaza emlilweni ngokwenza njalo evelisa iimbiza ezilungele ukusetyenziswa iimihla yonke nolonwabo.