THENENZIMASERVERBYTHEURBANATIVE
MphoVackiersharesthehistorybehindtheNenzimaS
DesignedandreleasedunderthecollectionnameAfrican
Crowns,theNenzimaServerpayshomagetoqueenNenzima
oftheMangbetutribe,whowastheyoungersisterofthe19th
centuryrulerMbunza,andthewifeofOkondo.Shewasreported
tobeoneofthemostpowerfulpeoplein thecourtin thefirst
decadeofthe20thcentury.Theoverallshape,linesandform
oftheserver,alongwiththeweaveddetailelements,areall
inspiredbythedistinctivelookoftheelongatedheadsofmost
Mangbetuwomenat thetime,resultingfromtheculturalpractice
of‘Lipombo’,whichwasa statussymbolamongtheMangbetu
rulingclasses.Alongwiththeelongatedhead,thehairstyle
accompanyingtheoveralllookwasanovalorfunnel-shaped
coiffure,whichendedin anoutwardhalo.Originallysymbolicof
highsocialstatus,thiswasconsideredexceptionallyattractive
andpowerfulandhencetheinclusionin TheUrbanative’sAfrican
CrownsCollection.
“TheUrbanativeconstantlyexplorestheroleofculture
andculturalrepresentationsinmodernsocieties,with
theaimoftellingcontemporaryAfricanstoriesthrough
modernfurnitureandproductdesign.”–MphoVackier
Mpho Vackier, founder
of TheUrbanative
The Nenzima Server by TheUrbanative: Terrazzo, Powdercoated steel and bamboo shelf
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Urbanative
The Collection Studio
Fabric Bank The Y chair by Heino Schmitt Design, featuring fabrics by Mary Jean and Karabo Mokaila