Making a case for the spiritual significance of Dinkho tsa Badimo as sacred ceramics in museum collections

Abstract

Ceramics as cultural heritage objects have been extensively studied with the main focus being on their functions as vessels used for the transportation, storage, processing and serving of food, and through this study of foodstuffs an exploration of past lifeways, social exchanges and processes. Part of these social processes include beliefs, myths and rituals, particularly those of rulers and chiefs that promote the welfare and wellbeing of a community and assist in social cohesion such as rainmaking. Oftentimes these intangible practices are carried out through tangible conduits such as ceramic vessels, whether to hold potions or mix medicines. Few studies however have focussed their attention on these artefacts, and likewise few have focussed on rituals in domestic settings as used by. In this context, the small ancestral vessel, or Dinkho tsa Badimo, as used by families to engage the ancestors is the focus of the present research. Past museum collection practices could be the cause for this oversight, as these vessels were misidentified, misclassified and incorporated into collections as common household wares, which they resemble. However, highlighting the significance and importance of Dinkho tsa Badimo as a separate class of ceramics, which could be considered ’sacred’, requires particular consideration in curatorial practice informed by appropriate cultural protocols. This article, based on interviews with traditional healers and supplemented with published references seeks to underline the importance of the use of ancestral ceramic vessels in the spiritual practices of Sesotho-Setswana cultural groups of Southern Africa.