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The Sculptors of Mapungubwe
In the timeless kingdom of Mapungubwe, the royal sculptor had two sons, Chata and Rendani. As they grew, so grew their rivalry―and their extraordinary talents. But while Rendani became a master carver of the animals that run in the wild hills and lush valleys of the land, Chata learned to carve fantastic beings from his dreams, creatures never before seen on the Earth.
From this natural rivalry between brothers, Zakes Mda crafts an irresistibly rich fable of love and family. What makes the better art, perfect mimicry or inspiration? Who makes the better wife, a princess or a mysterious dancer? Ageless and contemporary, deceptive in its simplicity and mythical in its scope, The Sculptors of Mapungubwe encompasses all we know of love, envy, and the artist’s primal power to forge art from nature and nature into art. Mda’s newest novel will only strengthen his international reputation as one of the most trenchant voices of South Africa.
From this natural rivalry between brothers, Zakes Mda crafts an irresistibly rich fable of love and family. What makes the better art, perfect mimicry or inspiration? Who makes the better wife, a princess or a mysterious dancer? Ageless and contemporary, deceptive in its simplicity and mythical in its scope, The Sculptors of Mapungubwe encompasses all we know of love, envy, and the artist’s primal power to forge art from nature and nature into art. Mda’s newest novel will only strengthen his international reputation as one of the most trenchant voices of South Africa.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2013
14 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Zakes Mda
33 books258 followersZakes Mda is the pen name of Zanemvula Kizito Gatyeni Mda, a novelist, poet and playwright.
Although he spent his early childhood in Soweto (where he knew political figures such as Walter and Albertina Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela) he had to finish his education in Lesotho where his father went into exile since 1963. This change of setting also meant a change of language for Mda: from isiXhosa to Sesotho. Consequently Mda preferred to write his first plays in English.
His first play, We Shall Sing for the Fatherland, won the first Amstel Playwright of the Year Award in 1978, a feat he repeated the following year. He worked as a bank clerk, a teacher and in marketing before the publication of We Shall Sing for the Fatherland and Other Plays in 1980 enabled him to be admitted to the Ohio University for a three-year Master's degree in theatre. He completed a Masters Degree in Theatre at Ohio University, after which he obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Mass Communication. By 1984 his plays were performed in the USSR, the USA, and Scotland as well as in various parts of southern Africa.
Mda then returned to Lesotho, first working with the Lesotho National Broadcasting Corporation Television Project and then as a lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Lesotho. Between 1985 and 1992 he was director of the Theatre-For-Development Project at the university and founded the Marotholi Travelling Theatre. Together with his students he travelled to villages in remote mountain regions working with local people in creating theatre around their everyday concerns. This work of writing theatre "from the inside" was the theme of his doctoral thesis, the Ph.D degree being conferred on him by the University of Cape Town in 1989.
In the early nineties Mda spent much of his time overseas, he was writer-in-residence at the University of Durham (1991), research fellow at Yale University. He returned for one year to South Africa as Visiting Professor at the School of Dramatic Art at the University of the Witwatersrand. He is presently Professor of Creative Writing at Ohio University.
Although he spent his early childhood in Soweto (where he knew political figures such as Walter and Albertina Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela) he had to finish his education in Lesotho where his father went into exile since 1963. This change of setting also meant a change of language for Mda: from isiXhosa to Sesotho. Consequently Mda preferred to write his first plays in English.
His first play, We Shall Sing for the Fatherland, won the first Amstel Playwright of the Year Award in 1978, a feat he repeated the following year. He worked as a bank clerk, a teacher and in marketing before the publication of We Shall Sing for the Fatherland and Other Plays in 1980 enabled him to be admitted to the Ohio University for a three-year Master's degree in theatre. He completed a Masters Degree in Theatre at Ohio University, after which he obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Mass Communication. By 1984 his plays were performed in the USSR, the USA, and Scotland as well as in various parts of southern Africa.
Mda then returned to Lesotho, first working with the Lesotho National Broadcasting Corporation Television Project and then as a lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Lesotho. Between 1985 and 1992 he was director of the Theatre-For-Development Project at the university and founded the Marotholi Travelling Theatre. Together with his students he travelled to villages in remote mountain regions working with local people in creating theatre around their everyday concerns. This work of writing theatre "from the inside" was the theme of his doctoral thesis, the Ph.D degree being conferred on him by the University of Cape Town in 1989.
In the early nineties Mda spent much of his time overseas, he was writer-in-residence at the University of Durham (1991), research fellow at Yale University. He returned for one year to South Africa as Visiting Professor at the School of Dramatic Art at the University of the Witwatersrand. He is presently Professor of Creative Writing at Ohio University.
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September 13, 2017
Reading sculptors of Mapungubwe made me think of a poem I once read Foreign by Carol Ann Duffy. The poem actually sums the book up for me. It touches on the themes of Xenophobia and Immigration.
* Chata left for Swahili to fulfill his wanderlust he had to learn to adapt, learn their teaching, ways of life and religion. Which is what the poem also touches on. Even when he was captured there in Swahili, it was solely because he was a Zanj, a foreigner.
*Chata stayed in Mapungubwe all his life, yet every wrong he was ever accused of was not judged fairly but by the fact that he was a son of a Zhun/Twasi, a child of a Phuli(Slave). He was never fully regarded as one of them. Same as Marubini once they turned away from her because of the betrothal she was judged by the fact that she was foreign. (Might be capable of witchcraft).
Couldn't help comparing both the book and poem as I felt they mention the same thing. That, No matter how long you have stayed in a place, you are never fully accepted. You will always be judged by that one fact. The place is always a strange dark place for you. Whether you have been there all your life. Its a universal thing, does not just happen in Mapungubwe, happened on Swahili as well. Even evident in our own country.
* Chata left for Swahili to fulfill his wanderlust he had to learn to adapt, learn their teaching, ways of life and religion. Which is what the poem also touches on. Even when he was captured there in Swahili, it was solely because he was a Zanj, a foreigner.
*Chata stayed in Mapungubwe all his life, yet every wrong he was ever accused of was not judged fairly but by the fact that he was a son of a Zhun/Twasi, a child of a Phuli(Slave). He was never fully regarded as one of them. Same as Marubini once they turned away from her because of the betrothal she was judged by the fact that she was foreign. (Might be capable of witchcraft).
Couldn't help comparing both the book and poem as I felt they mention the same thing. That, No matter how long you have stayed in a place, you are never fully accepted. You will always be judged by that one fact. The place is always a strange dark place for you. Whether you have been there all your life. Its a universal thing, does not just happen in Mapungubwe, happened on Swahili as well. Even evident in our own country.
January 3, 2026
The Sculptors of Mapungubwe by Zakes Mda (2010)
The setting of the novel is fascinating: The historical southern African kingdom of Mapungubwe in 1223 CE. The plot is kind of thin: There are two sons of the king Zwanga, one royal from the king’s wife and one a commoner from the king’s !Kung slave, who compete in their sculptures to win the approval of their sculptor father and later of the “younger father of the state,” Baba-Munene. The two brothers also compete for the heart of the beautiful Rain Dancer, Marubini. There are the standard ups and downs in their rivalry, but in the end true love and justice prevail. Chatambudza (Chata), the commoner and the more imaginative artist, wins the heart of the beautiful and imaginative Rain Dancer, Marubini, and the favor of their father, Zwanga. The ending is standard romance and anti-climatic. It is not as emotionally cathartic as it should be. Like a Hollywood movie, the two lovers abandon their homes, their flawed families and leave Mapungubwe, with the slow-headed Chenayi, to the promising north, where they hear-tell of fabulous new zimbabwes, houses of stone. Not diamonds or gold but hopeful in a 13th century way.
Even though the plot is thin, it serves the purpose of being a good framework for providing fascinating cultural, language and historical details of the surprisingly (to whites) advanced civilization found in the town of Mapungubwe, the historical precursor of the much better known Great Zimbabwe. These details and facts are gold to the 21st century reader interested in anthropology and/or history.
The author starts off the novel strong focusing our attention on two mirrors, which seem like mundane objects today but were luxurious and magical in that time and place. They are brought to town by the Swahili traders from the far-off lands of Arabia and India, which shows that this dusty, relatively small, Black African town is better connected and developed than one expects. The mirrors also serve as symbols that introduce the important theme of abstraction versus realism in creating art. The mirror that the royal brother, Rendani, buys is in a nice solid frame and covered with gold leaf glass, which renders golden, enhanced self-images. The mirror that the commoner brother, Chata, buys is simply a shard of a broken mirror coated with molten silver that renders unadorned images “more like real life” (5). For some reason this is the opposite of the art each brother sculpts. Rendani mimics reality (unlike his mirror of altered reality), whereas Chata creates from the dreams and visions of his rather wild imagination (different from his mirror of reality).
The best part of the novel is learning about the life-styles and cultures of the different tribes of people in and around Mapungubwe: The Karanga, The !Kung, The Khoi-Khoi, the Swahili and others. Though the author does not specifically identify the builders of Mapungubwe, there are many clues that the Venda and the Shona peoples are the ones responsible for this advanced civilization, clues such as the geography, the importance of the Rain Queen, and the inclusion of local vocabulary and customs. The book is linguistically rich using a pastiche of African words, such as, “dzekiso” for brideprice (Venda), “phuli” for slave/prisoner (Venda), “Mwali” for God (Ndebele), “guyo” and “huyo” for grindstones (Shona), etc. In addition the author uses real place and people names from these tribes, which contribute further to the book’s authenticity and cultural value.
The main reason for Mapungubwe’s existence is gold. And gold is central to the novel as well. Gold mines are how the “grandees”(upper class) of Mapungubwe make their money and how the lowland commoners make their living in the mines. The artisans of the town, like the brothers Rendani (the royal Sculptor) and his brother Chatatambudzi, the Carver of Carvers, use gold to create works of art. Rendani creates conventionally beautiful gilded bowls and a gilded rhino for the king, but his unconventional brother, Chata, creates an awe-inspiring chryselephantine sculpture of gold and ivory that overshadows his brother’s realistic and plain gold rhinoceros. However, Rendani honors the king with his art, whereas Chata is honoring the subject of his art, the Rain Dancer, and slighting the king. Chata’s art is not serving the proper function and is termed “Mbisili” (a combination of “imbecile” and “silly”).
This incredible sculpture of gold and ivory takes on a life of its own, like a character, attracting crowds of gapers from the lowlands, stoking the rivalry between the brothers, causing wonder about the two women portrayed: “It was the Namaqua woman sitting under what the men at first mistook for a tree…[but] was in fact a tall sinewy woman, in fire-blackened ivory and gold. Her pose was that of a dancer, her arms stretched out in a graceful dance movement…[She] loomed over the Namaqua woman who squatted under the dancer.” The dancer was stark naked, and since the statue was headless at this point, the onlooker’s attention is directed at “The grainy groin in all its glory” (139). It is a very uncharacteristic portrayal for Chata, but his work of art is unfinished.
Now Chata must concentrate on finishing his creation under very different conditions than how he created up to this point: unwanted attention, jealousy from his brother, anger from the Rain-Dancer Marubini, rumors about his relationship to the women in the statue, gapers turning his home into a shrine and accusations of sacrilege for not properly honoring King Baba-Munene. He blocks out the problems of the world and finishes his sculpture in his characteristic abstract style, making the head like the branches of a baobab tree, “creating an ugly face with many heads …belatedly trying to save the honour of his partner in depravity- Marubini” (211). The interesting thing is not so much how he finishes his work of art but how the work of art transforms and finishes him. Mda writes, “ Art creates you as you create it”(157). Marubini, the Rain-Dancer, notices that Chata’s sculpture has created a new, kinder, more patient, and less narcistic Chata, with whom she is falling in love.
The story turns here into a conventional plotline of two lovers who are “hopelessly” separated. But at the same time the author is exploring the interesting theme of the effects of art and its purpose. Art transformed the artist, Chata, into a better person. The beauty of Chata’s art brought together the blue bloods from the top of the Hill and the commoners from the bottom of the Hill in their appreciation of good art. The author points out that Art can break down “the natural divisions that had been determined by Mwali [God] himself” 207-208). Art frees our imagination and uplifts us from the mundane and the trivial to the divine.
But art also has negative effects. The beautiful art of Chata and Marubini (dance) caused the members of the community to elevate them on a throne, restricting their freedom as if in a prison. Art caused friction between Chata and his brother, resulting in anger, jealousy and retribution. Art, which does not follow the rules, was “a source of instability and a disturbance to the peace and security of the town”(207). Chata, the artist, must be punished for the negative effects of his art. His house is burned down. Marubini is banished to the land of the Karanga by her family. He is given the title of the “Carver of Carvers” by his conniving brother and the king and placed in a house on the top of the Hill, which becomes his prison. He is cut off from his studio, his tools, his audience and his inspiration. Without his art and without his girlfriend, it appears that all is doomed.
At this point in the novel art is losing its purpose. The ultimate fate of Chata’s imaginative creation is destruction. He de-constructs his masterpiece into its component materials of gold, ivory, wood, and recreates miniature statuettes. Art has been reduced in size and in importance. It is no longer center stage in life or in the novel. These inanimate materials of the earth and the fertile imagination of the artist are replaced by the living flesh and blood of the vibrant Marubini, who has returned from exile, to reunite with Chata in Mapungubwe. They form a real and loving relationship, more useful, more beautiful and more meaningful than any piece of art, whether a sculpture or a rain dance. Art showcases human imagination but is only an artificial approximation of reality, whether abstract or realistic. By the end of the novel, the only thing left is the relationship between two lovers, misunderstood artists, who are leaving their art behind in Mapungubwe to start fresh in the north. They have each other and their fertile imaginations, but perhaps their next creation will be from the fertility of their physical bodies.
Zakes Mda is more like Rendani as an artist than he is like Chatambudza. He is good but stuck following a conventional plotline with characters who are somewhat interesting but who do not really soar off the page and inspire like Chatambudza’s art. The novel soars in the sense that it accurately and imaginatively recreates a lost time and place and allows the readers to marvel at the amazing kingdom of Mapungubwe. It is wonderful that Zakes Mda has brought it to life for a 21st century audience.
The setting of the novel is fascinating: The historical southern African kingdom of Mapungubwe in 1223 CE. The plot is kind of thin: There are two sons of the king Zwanga, one royal from the king’s wife and one a commoner from the king’s !Kung slave, who compete in their sculptures to win the approval of their sculptor father and later of the “younger father of the state,” Baba-Munene. The two brothers also compete for the heart of the beautiful Rain Dancer, Marubini. There are the standard ups and downs in their rivalry, but in the end true love and justice prevail. Chatambudza (Chata), the commoner and the more imaginative artist, wins the heart of the beautiful and imaginative Rain Dancer, Marubini, and the favor of their father, Zwanga. The ending is standard romance and anti-climatic. It is not as emotionally cathartic as it should be. Like a Hollywood movie, the two lovers abandon their homes, their flawed families and leave Mapungubwe, with the slow-headed Chenayi, to the promising north, where they hear-tell of fabulous new zimbabwes, houses of stone. Not diamonds or gold but hopeful in a 13th century way.
Even though the plot is thin, it serves the purpose of being a good framework for providing fascinating cultural, language and historical details of the surprisingly (to whites) advanced civilization found in the town of Mapungubwe, the historical precursor of the much better known Great Zimbabwe. These details and facts are gold to the 21st century reader interested in anthropology and/or history.
The author starts off the novel strong focusing our attention on two mirrors, which seem like mundane objects today but were luxurious and magical in that time and place. They are brought to town by the Swahili traders from the far-off lands of Arabia and India, which shows that this dusty, relatively small, Black African town is better connected and developed than one expects. The mirrors also serve as symbols that introduce the important theme of abstraction versus realism in creating art. The mirror that the royal brother, Rendani, buys is in a nice solid frame and covered with gold leaf glass, which renders golden, enhanced self-images. The mirror that the commoner brother, Chata, buys is simply a shard of a broken mirror coated with molten silver that renders unadorned images “more like real life” (5). For some reason this is the opposite of the art each brother sculpts. Rendani mimics reality (unlike his mirror of altered reality), whereas Chata creates from the dreams and visions of his rather wild imagination (different from his mirror of reality).
The best part of the novel is learning about the life-styles and cultures of the different tribes of people in and around Mapungubwe: The Karanga, The !Kung, The Khoi-Khoi, the Swahili and others. Though the author does not specifically identify the builders of Mapungubwe, there are many clues that the Venda and the Shona peoples are the ones responsible for this advanced civilization, clues such as the geography, the importance of the Rain Queen, and the inclusion of local vocabulary and customs. The book is linguistically rich using a pastiche of African words, such as, “dzekiso” for brideprice (Venda), “phuli” for slave/prisoner (Venda), “Mwali” for God (Ndebele), “guyo” and “huyo” for grindstones (Shona), etc. In addition the author uses real place and people names from these tribes, which contribute further to the book’s authenticity and cultural value.
The main reason for Mapungubwe’s existence is gold. And gold is central to the novel as well. Gold mines are how the “grandees”(upper class) of Mapungubwe make their money and how the lowland commoners make their living in the mines. The artisans of the town, like the brothers Rendani (the royal Sculptor) and his brother Chatatambudzi, the Carver of Carvers, use gold to create works of art. Rendani creates conventionally beautiful gilded bowls and a gilded rhino for the king, but his unconventional brother, Chata, creates an awe-inspiring chryselephantine sculpture of gold and ivory that overshadows his brother’s realistic and plain gold rhinoceros. However, Rendani honors the king with his art, whereas Chata is honoring the subject of his art, the Rain Dancer, and slighting the king. Chata’s art is not serving the proper function and is termed “Mbisili” (a combination of “imbecile” and “silly”).
This incredible sculpture of gold and ivory takes on a life of its own, like a character, attracting crowds of gapers from the lowlands, stoking the rivalry between the brothers, causing wonder about the two women portrayed: “It was the Namaqua woman sitting under what the men at first mistook for a tree…[but] was in fact a tall sinewy woman, in fire-blackened ivory and gold. Her pose was that of a dancer, her arms stretched out in a graceful dance movement…[She] loomed over the Namaqua woman who squatted under the dancer.” The dancer was stark naked, and since the statue was headless at this point, the onlooker’s attention is directed at “The grainy groin in all its glory” (139). It is a very uncharacteristic portrayal for Chata, but his work of art is unfinished.
Now Chata must concentrate on finishing his creation under very different conditions than how he created up to this point: unwanted attention, jealousy from his brother, anger from the Rain-Dancer Marubini, rumors about his relationship to the women in the statue, gapers turning his home into a shrine and accusations of sacrilege for not properly honoring King Baba-Munene. He blocks out the problems of the world and finishes his sculpture in his characteristic abstract style, making the head like the branches of a baobab tree, “creating an ugly face with many heads …belatedly trying to save the honour of his partner in depravity- Marubini” (211). The interesting thing is not so much how he finishes his work of art but how the work of art transforms and finishes him. Mda writes, “ Art creates you as you create it”(157). Marubini, the Rain-Dancer, notices that Chata’s sculpture has created a new, kinder, more patient, and less narcistic Chata, with whom she is falling in love.
The story turns here into a conventional plotline of two lovers who are “hopelessly” separated. But at the same time the author is exploring the interesting theme of the effects of art and its purpose. Art transformed the artist, Chata, into a better person. The beauty of Chata’s art brought together the blue bloods from the top of the Hill and the commoners from the bottom of the Hill in their appreciation of good art. The author points out that Art can break down “the natural divisions that had been determined by Mwali [God] himself” 207-208). Art frees our imagination and uplifts us from the mundane and the trivial to the divine.
But art also has negative effects. The beautiful art of Chata and Marubini (dance) caused the members of the community to elevate them on a throne, restricting their freedom as if in a prison. Art caused friction between Chata and his brother, resulting in anger, jealousy and retribution. Art, which does not follow the rules, was “a source of instability and a disturbance to the peace and security of the town”(207). Chata, the artist, must be punished for the negative effects of his art. His house is burned down. Marubini is banished to the land of the Karanga by her family. He is given the title of the “Carver of Carvers” by his conniving brother and the king and placed in a house on the top of the Hill, which becomes his prison. He is cut off from his studio, his tools, his audience and his inspiration. Without his art and without his girlfriend, it appears that all is doomed.
At this point in the novel art is losing its purpose. The ultimate fate of Chata’s imaginative creation is destruction. He de-constructs his masterpiece into its component materials of gold, ivory, wood, and recreates miniature statuettes. Art has been reduced in size and in importance. It is no longer center stage in life or in the novel. These inanimate materials of the earth and the fertile imagination of the artist are replaced by the living flesh and blood of the vibrant Marubini, who has returned from exile, to reunite with Chata in Mapungubwe. They form a real and loving relationship, more useful, more beautiful and more meaningful than any piece of art, whether a sculpture or a rain dance. Art showcases human imagination but is only an artificial approximation of reality, whether abstract or realistic. By the end of the novel, the only thing left is the relationship between two lovers, misunderstood artists, who are leaving their art behind in Mapungubwe to start fresh in the north. They have each other and their fertile imaginations, but perhaps their next creation will be from the fertility of their physical bodies.
Zakes Mda is more like Rendani as an artist than he is like Chatambudza. He is good but stuck following a conventional plotline with characters who are somewhat interesting but who do not really soar off the page and inspire like Chatambudza’s art. The novel soars in the sense that it accurately and imaginatively recreates a lost time and place and allows the readers to marvel at the amazing kingdom of Mapungubwe. It is wonderful that Zakes Mda has brought it to life for a 21st century audience.
June 14, 2016
Imagine being able to look into the past and live in the thriving gold rich city of Mapungubwe. I have always been fascinated by the history of South Africa before the recorded part we know so well. By the little gold rhino and the other artifacts. By the links to the Eastern African kingdoms and talk of trade with the East.
In this book Mda draws a beautiful and detailed picture of the city state with the story of two "brothers" - rivals in every way , the two lead sculptors of Mapungubwe. It is the age old story of jealousy and betrayal, of love for a woman and power over many. He imagines the city and describes it so well that it forms a complete picture in your head - prompting me to read about it and what is knows to us today.
Well researched but also colourfully imagined this is a n intriguing and captivating read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In this book Mda draws a beautiful and detailed picture of the city state with the story of two "brothers" - rivals in every way , the two lead sculptors of Mapungubwe. It is the age old story of jealousy and betrayal, of love for a woman and power over many. He imagines the city and describes it so well that it forms a complete picture in your head - prompting me to read about it and what is knows to us today.
Well researched but also colourfully imagined this is a n intriguing and captivating read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 6, 2018
A beautifully written novel telling the tale of Chatambudza, a gifted sculptor.
The novel takes us through Chata's life, from a young boy who created amazing and monstrous creatures from his own imagination, to a young man, escaping traveling the world and escaping slavers, to an older man making a sculptor so wondrous that people create a religion from it.
This story also shows the length jealousy might push one. This is seen with how Chata's brother reacts to seeing the success of his younger brother. Rendani will do anything, including trying to steal the one woman Chatambudza is in love with, to dishearten his brother and make him seem less of a man. Rendani even goes so far as trying to make Chata seem dishonorable in the eyes of the king.
The man doesn't succeed though, and Chata gets his happy ending with the woman he loves.
A beautiful tale worth reading.
The novel takes us through Chata's life, from a young boy who created amazing and monstrous creatures from his own imagination, to a young man, escaping traveling the world and escaping slavers, to an older man making a sculptor so wondrous that people create a religion from it.
This story also shows the length jealousy might push one. This is seen with how Chata's brother reacts to seeing the success of his younger brother. Rendani will do anything, including trying to steal the one woman Chatambudza is in love with, to dishearten his brother and make him seem less of a man. Rendani even goes so far as trying to make Chata seem dishonorable in the eyes of the king.
The man doesn't succeed though, and Chata gets his happy ending with the woman he loves.
A beautiful tale worth reading.
September 18, 2018
Zakes Mda is a magnificent storyteller, steeped in the oral traditions of Africa!
Mapungubwe is a mythical African kingdom, where the ways of old still hold fast. The royal sculptor there has two sons, Rendani and Chata. Sibling rivalry increases as the boys grow up. Both of them spend their childhood at their father’s knee, learning the skills of sculpting. They begin to produce works of art from a very young age. To his delight, the sculptor’s sons soon grow into talented artists. Rendani produces perfect reconstructions of the animals he sees in the lush hills and valleys surrounding them. Chata creates creatures of his imagination, which impress their father immensely and stir the beginnings of jealousy in his brother.
Mda’s characterisation is masterful and he weaves a rich tapestry of love, family and mystery around the brothers. Rendani continues to compete with Chata in every aspect of their lives; from art to status in the community and eventually even to their choice of wives. Chata dances to a different drum; one which his brother can never quite make sense of. As the story unfolds, we begin to understand why.
In this mythical yet contemporary tale, Mda lulls us into thinking that this is a simple story set in rural Africa. It is not at all. The Sculptors of Mapungubwe is a universal story, which explores love, family ties, the desire to control and contain others and the complicated results of extreme jealousy. At the same time, it is a reminder of Africa’s rich culture and traditions and how important it is for us not to dismiss them. The desire to forge art from nature is ever present in this exquisite tale and it is the thread which pulls all the themes together.
I could imagine sitting around a campfire long into the night listening to this story, preferably told by the author himself. Now that I have savoured Zakes Mda’s iconic voice, I am hungry for everything he has ever written!
Gigi
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Mapungubwe is a mythical African kingdom, where the ways of old still hold fast. The royal sculptor there has two sons, Rendani and Chata. Sibling rivalry increases as the boys grow up. Both of them spend their childhood at their father’s knee, learning the skills of sculpting. They begin to produce works of art from a very young age. To his delight, the sculptor’s sons soon grow into talented artists. Rendani produces perfect reconstructions of the animals he sees in the lush hills and valleys surrounding them. Chata creates creatures of his imagination, which impress their father immensely and stir the beginnings of jealousy in his brother.
Mda’s characterisation is masterful and he weaves a rich tapestry of love, family and mystery around the brothers. Rendani continues to compete with Chata in every aspect of their lives; from art to status in the community and eventually even to their choice of wives. Chata dances to a different drum; one which his brother can never quite make sense of. As the story unfolds, we begin to understand why.
In this mythical yet contemporary tale, Mda lulls us into thinking that this is a simple story set in rural Africa. It is not at all. The Sculptors of Mapungubwe is a universal story, which explores love, family ties, the desire to control and contain others and the complicated results of extreme jealousy. At the same time, it is a reminder of Africa’s rich culture and traditions and how important it is for us not to dismiss them. The desire to forge art from nature is ever present in this exquisite tale and it is the thread which pulls all the themes together.
I could imagine sitting around a campfire long into the night listening to this story, preferably told by the author himself. Now that I have savoured Zakes Mda’s iconic voice, I am hungry for everything he has ever written!
Gigi
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
August 11, 2017
I recently finished reading ‘The Sculptors of Mapungubwe’ by Zakes Mda and I loved it so much when I first started reading it, I had to stop because I didn’t want it to end…… That notwithstanding when I did pick it up again I finished it in a couple of hours (I blame the font, it was large…).
It is set in the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in the 13th century CE…”except in Mapungubwe the people didn’t count time in that way” – so Mda shifts gear for you as you begin the novel setting the stage for the rest of the book. Do I recommend it? If you like historical fiction, reimagining African history, adjust-your-lenses fiction, then yes. Here’s what I thought of it written as a letter to Zakes: http://fromtheroots.co.ke/sculptors-o...
It is set in the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in the 13th century CE…”except in Mapungubwe the people didn’t count time in that way” – so Mda shifts gear for you as you begin the novel setting the stage for the rest of the book. Do I recommend it? If you like historical fiction, reimagining African history, adjust-your-lenses fiction, then yes. Here’s what I thought of it written as a letter to Zakes: http://fromtheroots.co.ke/sculptors-o...
October 16, 2017
I am actually surprised I enjoyed this book. Some spots were slow, but the tone Mda uses makes me feel like my grandpa is telling me a story. I loved the messages in this story, and actually can’t wait to present on it for my Topics in World Literature class.
January 4, 2024
Great to find a novel that brings life to the South African kingdom of Mapungubwe. The book is based explicitly on the archaeological work by friends and colleagues, which made it a very rewarding read.
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December 3, 2024Cain and Abel motif.
Mary motif; the rain dancer got pregnant from lightening (how did that happen??).
It’s like retelling the Bible in an indigenous way.
Weird, ancient and interesting.
Somehow cliche indeed.
Mary motif; the rain dancer got pregnant from lightening (how did that happen??).
It’s like retelling the Bible in an indigenous way.
Weird, ancient and interesting.
Somehow cliche indeed.
November 22, 2020
Zakes Mda is brilliant. Read this via the Book club and this was my first introduction to magical realism. I usually read traditional fantasy so it was quite the experience
October 14, 2022
Beautifully written - a riveting story of the power of art and the impact it has on people and family.
October 21, 2024
a story written in mostly beautifully simple language that entices the reader deeper into its messages and meanings! loved this booook
July 19, 2017
Mbisili: "Anything that the rulers did not like was mbisili. if it did not satisfy thier aesthetic tastes it was mbisili..."
In the age of South African artist (and other artist around the world) dancing to the music of the ruling, I think of other artists that maintain the authenticity of their art and refuse to give in to societal pressure, to talk truth to power, or just to create out of their influences and not create around the rulers interests, Chata was/is one of those.
Quotes:
"It's true that nothing imprisons like a throne. or a pedestal of any kind. once you've been placed on a pedestal you can wave goodbye to freedom."
"Perhaps as he created it, it created him as well, making him into a much softer person, a gentler and compassionate human being. Yes, that must be it. Art creates you as you create it."
Zakes (re)greats our world before colonization and western influences, while addressing very important issues in society.
In the age of South African artist (and other artist around the world) dancing to the music of the ruling, I think of other artists that maintain the authenticity of their art and refuse to give in to societal pressure, to talk truth to power, or just to create out of their influences and not create around the rulers interests, Chata was/is one of those.
Quotes:
"It's true that nothing imprisons like a throne. or a pedestal of any kind. once you've been placed on a pedestal you can wave goodbye to freedom."
"Perhaps as he created it, it created him as well, making him into a much softer person, a gentler and compassionate human being. Yes, that must be it. Art creates you as you create it."
Zakes (re)greats our world before colonization and western influences, while addressing very important issues in society.
June 13, 2016
This tale takes place over several years and follows Chata, a sculptor that doesn’t quite fit in. He creates amazing creatures that are only in his imagination and has a way to step on people’s toes without meaning to. To be fair, some people need their toes stepped on! Most of the book takes place at Mapungubwe – an Iron Age archaeological site dating around AD 1220 to AD 1300, situated at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers (Southern Africa). I was lucky enough to go with my honors Archaeology group to Mapungubwe a couple of years ago, as well as lucky enough to study this fascinating time period!
All of that said, I think this book was extremely accurate and I was impressed by not only the writing, but the clever narrative. The story was inspirational and the pages turned themselves! It was fascinating and delighted the mind.
If you are looking for a historical fiction that takes place in Africa, has accurate archaeological facts and is unlike anything you have every read before – then I suggest you take a look at this novel!
This got a 9/10 from me.
All of that said, I think this book was extremely accurate and I was impressed by not only the writing, but the clever narrative. The story was inspirational and the pages turned themselves! It was fascinating and delighted the mind.
If you are looking for a historical fiction that takes place in Africa, has accurate archaeological facts and is unlike anything you have every read before – then I suggest you take a look at this novel!
This got a 9/10 from me.
October 6, 2022
A really nice book to read on a quiet weekend. But there are no great excitements in the action. This is rather a slow and easy narrative. Tranquil, gentle easy writing from bra Zakes.
It's nice to have one's mythical past resurrected like this. One brother is an artist who creates fantasy and dreams. The other is one who reflects reality and real life around him. Is this Zakes telling us about his own two-pronged approach? Is he questioning his own methods? Does he swing to the real or the artistic? Is he asking himself whether he is too detached from the (awful) realities of life in Southern Africa, and suggesting that the author needs to be politically engaged, while another part of him is resisting this and wanting to engage in art itself for its own sake?
Whatever the answer, Zakes writes simply and lucidly and demands to be taken seriously. I liked this a whole lot.
It's nice to have one's mythical past resurrected like this. One brother is an artist who creates fantasy and dreams. The other is one who reflects reality and real life around him. Is this Zakes telling us about his own two-pronged approach? Is he questioning his own methods? Does he swing to the real or the artistic? Is he asking himself whether he is too detached from the (awful) realities of life in Southern Africa, and suggesting that the author needs to be politically engaged, while another part of him is resisting this and wanting to engage in art itself for its own sake?
Whatever the answer, Zakes writes simply and lucidly and demands to be taken seriously. I liked this a whole lot.
May 3, 2014
Yet another good read from Zakes Mda. My only complaint is that it was too short and I reached the end far too quickly. Mda deftly handles a number of sensitive issues, and if I attempt to read between the lines, my guess is a number of the ruling party members of a less than savoury nature at Mapungubwe were inspired by real life people close to home.
May 22, 2016
Written in that beautifully poetic--yet simple--African voice, I really enjoyed this, my first Zakes Mda book. The setting and period were authentic and characters well developed. I loved some of the very modern themes that crept into the book - issues around creativity, abuse of power and even poaching.
March 7, 2014
An epic set in our very own backyard!.Set in the era before we got colonised,a magical story of our traditional faith woven with a love story and a tale of friendship,brotherhood and the effects of cold of ambition and jealousy on both.
August 11, 2016
Took me a while to get into this book, but once fully into it, liked the story line, Chata and Rendani a great deal. I liked the way South African pre-colonial history was woven into the story was quite fascinating.
Good read all around
Good read all around
March 13, 2015
A great story written in a very pure form. A story of love and power set in Mapungubwe. A story of art and long forgotten culture and tradion of an ancient people. As a pure story based on some research as the author gave credit I can only highly praise the book...Where is an African film maker?
March 11, 2016
The Sculptors of Mapungubwe is as great a book as all of Zakes Mda's. I have read his Memoir and Black Diamonds. I came out of all his books fulfilled and confident that South African literature is alive and well.
The book relates the story of the son of the Royal Sculptors, Chats and Rendani.
The book relates the story of the son of the Royal Sculptors, Chats and Rendani.
March 14, 2016
very interesting. a portrayal of life in southern Africa in times before. ones heart tweaks when considering chata and the events that unfold in his life. thoroughly enjoyable...one of those books that you will remember just because its so different to the normal fair.
Want to read
July 22, 2013Reviewed by The Complete Review
July 29, 2016
Great book. See my blog on this book from great author and storyteller Zakes Mda http://www.dianebrownauthor.com/2014/...
January 6, 2015
The story is written in the style of a folktale, which makes it an enjoyable and rather fast read.
July 27, 2016
- What makes me different from the other men of Mapungubwe is is that I was taught by my mother how to be a man.
- Our way of life is learnt from the animals. Observe the animals and learn
- Our way of life is learnt from the animals. Observe the animals and learn
June 25, 2017
I was underwhelmed.
The story and development felt hurried to me. Too many things happening all at once.
I felt like ideas in the story could have rather been elaborated on instead of more dimensions added on. In a 'less is more' type of way.
I loved with Chata but didn't fall in love with him.
I was more annoyed with Rendani than I disliked or hated him out of empathy for Chata.
I felt like Marubini was not created to give me, the reader, ample chance to fall in love with to even care who she ends up with.
The historical parts of the story, I felt could have been written slower. Some were... vague.
What had me reading till the end is that the book is so well written, in terms of, playing with language, manners of speaking, the colourful brain of the author coming through. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's writing on homosexuality in the book and how he addressed it, even from the point of view of people who considered same-gender sex to be odd.
I am not put off of the author, and this not a book I would give away. Actually I'm the only one who did not enjoy it out of book club. I'm actually quite lucky to still be alive after expressing my take on the book. Lucky that their words didn't kill me even.
One of my favourite quotes (and there was a number of them):
"They would not be children if they were not cruel."
The story and development felt hurried to me. Too many things happening all at once.
I felt like ideas in the story could have rather been elaborated on instead of more dimensions added on. In a 'less is more' type of way.
I loved with Chata but didn't fall in love with him.
I was more annoyed with Rendani than I disliked or hated him out of empathy for Chata.
I felt like Marubini was not created to give me, the reader, ample chance to fall in love with to even care who she ends up with.
The historical parts of the story, I felt could have been written slower. Some were... vague.
What had me reading till the end is that the book is so well written, in terms of, playing with language, manners of speaking, the colourful brain of the author coming through. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's writing on homosexuality in the book and how he addressed it, even from the point of view of people who considered same-gender sex to be odd.
I am not put off of the author, and this not a book I would give away. Actually I'm the only one who did not enjoy it out of book club. I'm actually quite lucky to still be alive after expressing my take on the book. Lucky that their words didn't kill me even.
One of my favourite quotes (and there was a number of them):
"They would not be children if they were not cruel."
August 29, 2017
My first Zakes Mda book, The Sculptors of Mapungbwe is worth reading for the atmosphere and sense of place alone, not to mention the characters, political machinations and the fact that this is just a good story. It is a bit of a slow burn for such a short book but once the reader is on board, they’re in capable hands.
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