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19th Century Nguni Prepuce Covers   umncwado - imincwado - umncedo   Penis Cover - Prepuce Cover - Penis Sheath                                Annals of the SA Museum Vol. 58 Part 3 Pg 263                                     Zulu / Tsonga - Circa 1890   Many tribal art and costume collectors have groups of the female cache sex of various cultures in their displays, but few have focused on the male prepuce cover. Academics, collectors, dealers and indeed the modern descendants of the ethnic groups of Southern Africa have cumulatively lost interest in penis covers, and indeed forgotten their earlier social importance.       Abakwetha by Lister Hunter, a trader in Umtata - circa 1950.   Before the widespread adoption of Western garments, African men in Southern Africa generally wore a basic loin covering, usually consisting of a kilt type garment made up of strips of animal skin in the front and a flap of animal hide at the back, or a wrap of trade store fabric. While there was no shame in being seen without these garments, a man over the age of puberty would not think of appearing in company without a penis cover that consisted of a gourd or a plaited plant fibre cap worn over the tip of the penis. This was not simply for reasons of modesty or the shielding of a delicate area of the anatomy, but seen also as an essential item of protection against evil magic. Culturally specific uses for covers are known and there is record of very special examples made from elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn.       Abakwetha by Mrs. Fred Clarke 'nee Goss', a trader at Gosshill / Pondoland - circa 1940   Barbara Tyrrell, who gained fame as a close observer and visual recorder of the tribal life and costume in Southern Africa, recalls the ubiquitous penis cover and wrote frankly in her book 'Her African Quest', of a childhood memory in Zululand: "The essential item of the male dress was the penis cover, small gourd or plated 'box', not necessarily for reasons of modesty but as protection against evil eye, evil influence. There was no same in nudity and a sporran not always a complete cover. We accepted and respected racial differences and I believed, quite simply, that the 'box' grew as part of their anatomy, just another evidence of difference."                      Swazi men Washing circa 1920                                                                  Zulu type - circa 1900.   For the purpose of disseminating knowledge, we share with you a scarce resource: a very carefully researched and illustrated paper by  Michael W. Conner, PhD., ISA-AM presented in 1990 - which follows.    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________     The 19th Century Nguni Prepuce Cover:   A Vanished Aesthetic Locus   By Michael W. Conner - 1990     Presented at he 33rd Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association - Baltimore Maryland - November 1990.

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