Ukubaza Ubuciko Basendulo Base-afrika

Ngumlobeli We-Phaphama! ENigeria

SEKUYISIKHATHI eside ababazi bematasa eBenin City, manje eseningizimu yeNigeria. Eminyakeni engamakhulu amane edlule, iBenin City yayiyinhloko-dolobha yombuso wasehlathini owawunamandla futhi uhlelekile. Izivakashi zaseYurophu zamangaliswa imigwaqo ebanzi, eqondile yalomuzi, izindlu zakhona ezihlelwe ngobunyoninco nabantu bakhona abanesizotha nabagcina umthetho. Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka iBenin City yachuma njengesinye sezikhungo ezibaluleke kakhulu zezentengiselwano nezobuciko zasentshonalanga Afrika.

Umbuso waseBenin wawuphethwe uhide lwamakhosi okuthiwa ama-oba. Ama-oba ayebukhuthaza ngempela ubuciko. Isigodlo sawo esihle eBenin City sasihlotshiswe ngamakhanda abaziwe, imihlobiso emihle yasodongeni eyenziwe ngethusi, kanye nezinto eziqoshwe ngobungoti ngamazinyo ezindlovu. Nakuba izinto ezabazwa endulo zaguga futhi zadliwa umuhlwa, kusobala ukuthi ababazi babematasa kulombuso. UMartins Akanbiemu, owayengumnakekeli weNational Museum eLagos, uyabhala: “Kubonakala sengathi iqembu lababazi . . . kwakuyilona elidala kakhulu elalisebenzela u-Oba.”

Ngo-1897, amabutho aseBrithani aphanga iBenin City futhi athuthela amagugu ayo obuciko asebiza kakhulu eYurophu—imifanekiso engaphezu kuka-2000. Namuhla, amaqoqo amakhulu obuciko baseBenin akubukisiwe ngawo eNigeria, kodwa kubukiswe ngawo eminyuziyamu eLondon naseBerlin.

Ukubaza Namuhla

Namuhla iBenin City iyidolobha eliyaluzayo njengamanye amaningi eNigeria. Nokho, zisekhona izinsalela zodumo lwayo lwangesikhathi esidlule. Isigodlo siye savuselelwa, futhi u-oba ophethe manje uhlala kuso. Ungawubona umsele ojulile owawuzungeza lomuzi wasendulo; futhi uma ulalelisisa, ungawuzwa umsindo wamathuluzi okubaza.

Indoda okuthiwa uJohnson isineminyaka engu-20 ibaza imifanekiso yokhuni eBenin City. Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule, amakhanda okhuni nethusi ayeyizikhumbuzo zalabo asebafa; ayehlobise ama-altare okukhulekela okhokho. Kodwa amakhanda abazwa uJohnson awafani nalawo ayesetshenziswa ngaphambili ngenjongo engokwenkolo. Yena ubaza awokuhlobisa kuphela.

UJohnson usebenzisa i-ebhoni, ukhuni oluqinile, oluqhekeka kalula, oluhle kakhulu ekubazeni. Ngokuvamile usebenzisa ingaphakathi lokhuni. Ingaphakathi le-ebhoni yaseNigeria livame ukuba mnyama bhuqe, nakuba ezinye izihlahla zinengaphakathi elinemidwa noma elinombala ompunga kuya komnyama. Ubaza nangengaphandle elithambile lokhuni; lokhu kunezela umbala obomvu omuhle, ogqamisa ukhuni olumnyama. Kokubili ukhuni lwe-ebhoni olubomvu nolumnyama luba luhle lapho selupholishiwe.

I-ebhoni iyinala eNigeria. Lapho kugawulwa isihlahla se-ebhoni, ngokuvamile sishiywa ehlathini izinyanga ezimbalwa ukuze some. Ngisho nangemva kokuba ugodo selufike eshabhu, uJohnson uyaluyeka lome ezinye izinyanga ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokuba alusebenzise. Lokhu kubalulekile, njengoba ukhuni olumanzi lungashintsha ukwakheka futhi luqhekeke.

Lapho eselungele ukubaza, uJohnson usaha ucezu olungaba amasentimitha angu-38 ubude. Ngemva kokulinda isonto lonke ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi lolu khuni aluqhekeki, uJohnson udweba umfanekiso wekhanda afuna ukuwubaza ngoshoki, abese eqala umsebenzi.

Uqale asebenzise ishizolo eliyisicaba, bese kulandela eligobile, kamuva kube elicijile. Ngemva kwalokho, usebenzisa isigudlo. Khona-ke kusetshenziswa ummese wombazi ukuze kuqoshwe imicikilisho yomfanekiso. Njengoba esebenza, uJohnson ugxilisa ingqondo ngokujulile kulolu khuni. Ukuba budedengu kungenza umfanekiso omamatheka ngendlela engavamile noma oneso elibheke nganxanye.

Ngemva kokuqeda ukubaza, labo abaqeqeshwa uJohnson bahlikihla umfanekiso nge-sandpaper uze ube bushelelezi. Ekugcineni, bawufaka upholishi wefenisha noma wezicathulo bese bewucwebezelisa ngebhulashi lezicathulo. Kuthatha izinsuku ezimbili ukubaza ikhanda lokhuni elinjengaleli elivezwe ezithombeni. Kuthatha ezinye izinsuku ezintathu ukulihlikihla nge-sandpaper nokulipholisha.

Lapho umfanekiso usuqediwe, uJohnson uwubekela eceleni izinyanga ezimbalwa ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi awuqhekeki yini. Uma ukhuni lwalome nké ngaphambi kokuba lubazwe, ngeke luqhekeke. Ngokuvamile kuba njalo. Uma luqhekeka, umfanekiso uphindiselwa eshabu uyogudlwa, uhlikihlwe bese upholishwa futhi.

Ukufunda Ubuciko Bokubaza

UJohnson unabantu abayisithupha abaqeqeshayo, abaneminyaka engu-10 kuya kwengu-18 ubudala. Bafunda ubuciko nokubaza beqala ngomsebenzi owenziwa ekugcineni bagcine ngowenziwa kuqala. Ngalendlela into yokuqala oqeqeshwayo ayifundayo ukupholisha. Ube esefunda ukuhlikihla umfanekiso nge-sandpaper. Kamuva, uboniswa indlela yokusebenzisa isigudlo. Ekugcineni, luyafika usuku lapho ethatha khona ishizolo eliyisicaba aqophe ugodo olusha.

“Akubona bonke abantu abangaba ababazi,” kusho uJohnson. “Okokuqala, kufanele ukhaliphe futhi ube nekhono lokugxilisa ingqondo. Kudingeka ufunde nokuba nesineke ukuze uthuthuke futhi ukwazi ukubhekana nokushiyeka kwakho. Kudingeka nokuphikelela, njengoba kuthatha okungenani iminyaka emithathu ukuba yingcweti yokubaza. Kodwa akugcini lapho—ufunda uze ufe. Uma uprakthiza, uhlala uthuthuka.”

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 20]

Umuhlwa Nombazi

Abanye bathi ubuciko base-Afrika bathuthukiswa umuhlwa. Umbazi wenza umfanekiso ngokhuni, bese umuhlwa (usizwa yisimo sezulu esishisayo) uwubhubhisa, ngezinye izikhathi ngezinsuku ezimbalwa! Sekungamakhulu eminyaka umuhlwa ugcine umbazi ematasa. Kuye kwaba umjikelezo ongenamkhawulo kodwa owakhayo: Umuhlwa uyabhubhisa, bese umbazi eqala kabusha, enamathuba okuthuthukisa ikhono lakhe nokusungula izindlela ezintsha azicabangayo.

Incwadi ethi African Kingdoms ithi: “Isikhunta kanye nomuhlwa okhuthele kwalisusa cishe ngokuphelele ithuba lokuba ubuciko bakudala buthonye umsebenzi wezizukulwane ezalandela. Ngenxa yalokho, njengoba njalo kwakuphakama isidingo semifanekiso emisha, kwakuvela nethuba elikhulu lokwenza izinto ezihlukahlukene; yayimbalwa kakhulu imifanekiso ethathelwa kweminye, futhi abantu babethembela ngokwengeziwe emakhonweni abo nasekusunguleni izinto.”

Abanye bathi lobu buhlobo phakathi komuhlwa nombazi buyimbangela yobungcweti bobuciko obuye benza ubuciko base-Afrika baduma kangaka. Encwadini yaso ethi Nigerian Images, isazi uWilliam Fagg siyaphawula: “Ake . . . sibonge umuhlwa, okuthi nakuba imisebenzi yawo eminingi ingathandeki kumuntu, usunamakhulu nezinkulungwane zeminyaka unobuhlobo obuqhubekayo nobuzuzisa kakhulu nombazi.”

[Umthombo Wesithombe]

Courtesy of Dr. Richard Bagine

[Izithombe ekhasini 19]

Ukubaza umfanekiso:

1. ukukhetha ukhuni oluhle,

2. ukudweba ikhanda okufanele libazwe,

3. ukusebenzisa ishizolo, 4. ukuhlikihla nge-“sandpaper,” 5. ukuwupholisha