Protector of the Young Ones - Full Hide

ONE OF A KIND - 180 x 200cm

She stands here peaceful yet vigilant. She is the sentinel for now. It’s her turn to watch over the nursery of Nguni calves, allowing other cows to focus on grazing.

She lives in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains, which the Zulus call the barrier of spears, giving descriptive colour to the very high apices that punctuate this majestic mountain range.

Indigenous to South Africa, the Nguni are the only cattle that can survive the rigours of this mountainous environment. One slip and she could plummet down a precipice to certain death.

Unlike farm-reared cattle, here there are no veterinary visits, no food deliveries nor shelter from the icy winter winds. These hardy animals will shovel snow off the grass with their noses during the winter seasons. And with an immunity that has evolved with the environment, they bear a resilience to diseases.

But rising above their functional efficiency radiates a superlative beauty.

Known as the painted cattle of the Zulus, the Nguni present a palette of rich organic hues. Adding to this visual delight, a melodic chorus of flutes resounds through the valleys - a poetic Zulu description of the cows’ soulful lowing. When calves stray, their mothers’ urgent calls echo, persistent and emotive yet in a pitch unique to each cow. Ever quick to distinguish between the calls, the herdsmen respond, crying out with poetic words and soothing whistles, keeping in key with the cows. Together, they stir the air in a moving cappella.

This art piece captures a moment in her sentinel duty as she watches over the Springtime calves.