Africa_078-111
1/20/09
1:19 PM
Page 80
Nyamwezi The protruding ears, the prominent lips and the eyes finished with beads are recurring traits of Nyamwezi sculpture.
“The wind will not break the tree that knows how to bend” (Sukuma-Nyamwezi proverb, Tanzania)
Nyamwezi Geographic location Tanzania, Eastern Africa Chronology 18th century: the Nyamwezi join the Swahili trade circuit 1860-1884: birth of the Nyamwezi “empire” End 19th century: dissolution of the Nyamwezi “empire” Related entries Swahili, slavery
The Nyamwezi today number about one million and a half people. They are Bantu-speaking farmers settled in central-western Tanzania, and were at one time divided into small kingdoms. Starting in the 18th century they were active in the ivory and slave trade that linked the hinterland to the coastal areas. From 1860 to 1884 Mirambo, a Nyamwezi military chief, fought the Arabs and the neighboring kingdom of Buganda for control of the long-distance trade routes and built an “empire” by unifying under his rule a number of small kingdoms. He bartered ivory and slaves for textiles (which he distributed to followers and allies) and firearms. He even formed alliances with the sultan of Zanzibar. His reign came apart upon his death. “Nyamwezi” is a Swahili word that literally means “people of the moon,” signifying that they came from the west, where the moon rises. The name later was applied to ethnically diverse people whom the Swahili merchants recruited in central Tanganyika to work as porters and mercenary troops.
This seat is carved from a single block of wood, and differs from European chairs that are made of several parts joined together.
These high-backed, anthropomorphic carved seats with clearly rendered sexual features were probably meant to portray the clan’s primordial ancestor mother. They were reserved for the chiefs who sat on them to hear and adjudge legal matters.
Ceremonial
insignia, Nyamwezi (Tanzania) (from Rubin, 1985).
80
Seat,
Nyamwezi (Tanzania). Private Collection.
The three curved legs with three jutting projections are typical of Nyamwezi seats.
81