Lozi or Rotse Lidded Bowl
The word Lozi means ‘plain’ in the Makololo language, in reference to the Barotse floodplain of the Zambezi on and around which most Lozi live.
Tribe: Lozi or Rotse
Origin: South Africa
Approx Age: 1940
Materials: Wood
Dimensions cm: 21 diameter x 17 tall
Ref. Number: 1828
£195.00
Description:
A Lozi or Rotse lidded bowl from Zambia in Southern and Central Africa. Ornamental bowls like this one were used by the Lozi people of Zambia for storage. A lidded bowl with a decorative handle on the lid. This would be used for storage of food, or as a meat platter for serving meals on, on an everyday basis.
A really pretty utilitarian piece in really good condition for its age.
Provenance: Ex-Sam Handbury Madin, UK. Exhibited: Tribal Art London Exhibition 2022
History
The word Lozi means ‘plain’ in the Makololo language, in reference to the Barotse Floodplain of the Zambezi on and around which most Lozi live. It may also be spelled Lotse or Rotse, the spelling Lozi having originated with German missionaries in what is now Namibia. Mu- and Ba- are corresponding singular and plural prefixes for certain nouns in the Silos language, so Murotse means ‘person of the plain’ while Barotse means ‘people of the plain.
Lozi society is highly stratified, with a monarch at the top and those of recent royal descent occupying high positions in society. The monarch or Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) is known as Mulonga, and Lozi society tolerates little criticism even of an unpopular Litunga. Criticisms of a Litunga by a foreigner are treated as criticisms of the Lozi nation as a whole. The Lozi are not separate into clans, unlike most African ethnic groups.
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