Hima Milk Jug Uganda

The Hima jug sheds light on cultural practices related to the Hima people, particularly in the context of marriage. Crafted from wood, these Hima jugs are used for storing milk, emphasizing the importance of cattle and physical size as symbols of prosperity. In Hima marriage traditions, brides-to-be consume milk stored in such containers to gain body fat, promoting the perception of health and fertility during a period spent in a "fattening hut" in a separate village.

The milk in my refrigerator is contained in plastic or cardboard. The pitchers on my counter are attractive glass or pottery‚ but no one spent days carving them, or carefully weaving a basketry top to keep flies out. And when was the last time I carefully repaired a loved item? Hima jugs are an iconic African art form, often seen in Architectural Digest and other design magazines. I am particularly fond of this one, with its lovely aluminum indigenous repair.

~ Elizabeth Bennett

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