06/19/2026
In the 2015 catalogue for the Pucker Gallery exhibition "Nourishment, Hospitality, Conveyance" Dr. Jonathan Shirland wrote, "Archeological research indicates that ceramics have been made in the region of KwaZulu-Natal since the second century B.C.E, but the rise of the distinctive blackened beer vessel is probably a nineteenth century development. The main types of contemporary Zulu pottery – imbiza, uphiso, iphangela, ukhamba, and amancishane – are designed with the brewing, transportation, or drinking of utshwala (sorgum beer) in mind. Utshwala is a crucial part of the Zulu diet. The milky pink liquid has a modest alcohol content and is very nutritious, containing Vitamins B and C as well as carbohydrates and minerals. The nineteenth century traveler Adulphe Delegorque said of sorgum beer that, 'it quenches the thirst, it strengthens a man when he is weak, and it takes away fatigue; much more than this, it gives rise to a gentle gaiety and…makes a better man.' Both men and women consume utshwala (but normally in separate groups), and it is served at many ritual events and social gatherings. The beer pot helps instill a sense of community as it is passed around, and many drinkers maintain that utshwala also tastes better from the ukhamba compared to any other vessel."
Image: "Zulu Ukhamba Beerpot" | Clay, amasumpa technique | 10 x 11.25 x 11.25” | SA628
