Carved soapstone bird, 13th-15thcentury.
Zimbabwe.
Steatite, height: 100 cm.
Groote Schuur Collection, Cape Town.
Great Zimbabwe was the capital of the Shona kingdom
during the 13th-15thcenturies. Eight soapstone birds were
found in areas which were originally intended for private
and sacred functions. Despite the difference of each bird,
they all share eagle and human elements, implying that
their meaning includes the roles of both birds and humans.
The uniqueness of each bird implies their representation of
specific leaders; the posture of each bird may also imply
gender significance.
According to Shona belief, birds are messengers. Eagles
like the bataleur are thought to bring word from ancestors
and the ancestral spirits are meant to provide health and
success. The spirits, soaring to the heavens like an eagle,
were thought to intercede with God over rain and other
national problems. The carvings serve as a stone metaphor
for the intercessionary role of royal ancestors as the ability
to directly communicate with God was the essence of
sacred leadership in Zimbabwe culture.