QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-1077

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights; South Africa Quilt History Project; The Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

02.0127

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2002:9.1

Object label:

Venda Folk Tale
Unidentified women’s cooperative (Venda)
Muswodi, Limpopo, South Africa
c2000
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2002:9.1

Essay:

Muswodi lies between the Limpopo River and Soutpansberg mountains near the border of South Africa and Zimbabwe. The embroidered panels illustrate images from a Venda folk tale.

Eternal Life Forever Lost
Once upon a time there lived a Venda king high up in the Makonde mountains. During his reign the people were happy and healthy. The rains came at the right time. Mealies, sweet potatoes, bananas and mangoes were plentiful. It was indeed a good time to be living high up in the Makonde mountains. The Venda king, however was heartbroken because day by day he watched his old mother getting weaker. One morning the women came to tell him that she had died during the night. “Why can man not be like the moon?” The king wondered. “The moon gets smaller and smaller, but always returns to the sky and again grows stronger.”

He called his councilors and they decided to send a message to the gods with the request to grant man everlasting life – like the moon.

“Who shall we send?” they asked.

“Chameleon is an extremely trustworthy messenger,” the king said.

“With those large eyes he notices everything and when there is danger he can quickly change colour and hide. As his companion I will send Centipede. With all those legs, Centipede can move fast and this is indeed an urgent matter.”

Chameleon and Centipede were called to appear before the king. The king said, “Centipede, this is your message to the gods: ‘The Venda king from the Makonde mountains asks you all very humbly to allow man to live again after he has passed away.’”

“Chameleon, this is your message to the gods: “The Venda king from the Makonde mountains asks you all very humbly not to let the moon rise again, once it has set.’”

With great speed the two messengers took off. But, alas something unforeseen happened. Centipede came across a tree full of ripe sandapples. He could not tear himself away from the feast and ate and ate.

In the meantime Chameleon had arrived at the land of the gods. He appeared before them and delivered the king’s message. The moment, however, was too great for this simple messenger from Vendaland and in the presence of these awe-inspiring gods a dreadful thing happened, Chameleon forgot his words. There he stood, eyes rolling from one god to the other, tongue-tied. At last he stuttered, “Oh, oh gods! Our Venda king from the Makonde mountains ask you all humbly…to allow man to remain dead…after he had passed away…”

The next day Centipede arrived. He was brought before the gods and delivered his message. “The Venda king from the Makonde mountains ask you all very humbly to allow man to live again after he had passed away.”

“Oh no we had already granted the request of the first speaker, we cannot change that.”

And that is how human beings lost their chance to have everlasting life and why the Chameleon is hated and feared by the Venda people.

By Marsha MacDowell

Quilt's title:

Venda Folk Tale

Name of the group that made the quilt:

Venda Women

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

Muswodi

Where the quilt was made, country:

South Africa

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

c2001

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Moswodi

Quiltmaker's country:

South Africa

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

South African

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

69 1/2"

How long is the quilt?

96"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Antique colors:

Indigo Blue

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

15

Size of quilt blocks:

11" x 11"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

Sashing width:

3"

Number of borders:

4

Describe the borders:

Outer, navy 1 3/4" Indigo print, 3 1/4" Solid yellow, 2 1/2" Inner, red 3"

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

2

How is the binding made?

Straight grain

What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?

greater than one inch

How wide is the binding (measure on the top only)?

1 1/2"

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Polyester

How are the layers held together?

Machine quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

8

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

7

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline

Source of the information on this quilt:

Museum employee

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

1/22/2001, Kim Sacks Gallery, South Africa

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum