by Louise Irvine

Jonah and the Whale was among the earliest ceramic sculptures produced at the Ardmore Studio in South Africa. It was modeled by Bonnie Ntshalintshali, the first artist to assist the founder Fèe Halsted. Bonnie joined the studio in KwaZulu-Natal after being unable to work as a farm laborer due to polio. As a devout believer, she found much of her inspiration in the Bible, and her rendition of Jonah depicts the prophet in prayer emerging from the whale. 

In the Old Testament, the Book of Jonah is a story of repentance and the ability to ask God for forgiveness. Initially, Jonah flees from God, and he is blamed for a severe storm at sea. Sailors threw him overboard, and the waves calmed, but Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish and remained in its belly for three days and three nights. He prays in his affliction, and God commands the fish to regurgitate Jonah.

Bonnie sculpted several biblical stories after she and Fèe won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award in 1990. However, in 1999, Bonnie succumbed to the ravages of HIV/AIDS, which took the lives of more than 30 Ardmore artists. An evocation of her Jonah and the Whale sculpture was included in the commemorative ewer representing the first 30 years of the Ardmore Studio. Jonah is a poignant reminder of suffering and resilience in their community. 

Whales continued to inspire the Ardmore artists, and the Splash! exhibition features several whale riders, including one by Bonnie’s son, Senzo. Ardmore’s whimsical whale sculptures have helped raise awareness of the plight of these massive marine mammals and their importance in the ecosystem, particularly around World Whale Day every February. In 2023, Fèe introduced her first silk scarf collection for Ardmore’s own brand as a tribute to Bonnie. A playful depiction of Jonah and the Whale is surrounded by heavenly angels, doves and butterflies reflecting Bonnie’s artistic spirit. 

In the vivid imaginations of the Ardmore artists, Zulus in traditional costumes also ride the waves on dolphins, sharks, fish, and even squid. Their marine fantasies can be traced back to the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, where gods and goddesses rode on the backs of sea creatures. Venus, who was born in the sea, and her son Cupid were often portrayed riding on dolphins along with the sea nymphs who helped sailors in distress. Medieval maps and bestiaries depict monstrous sea creatures, which have also inspired the Ardmore artists. 

African folktales also provide fertile inspiration for the Ardmore artists. The tit for tat tale of the monkey and the shark comes from Zanzibar on Africa’s east coast. A monkey who lives in the trees dreams of swimming in the sea. A scheming shark encourages the monkey to jump on his back and takes him for a ride. Surfing the waves is great fun until the shark announces that he wants to eat the monkey’s heart. The quick-witted monkey explains that he has left his heart in the tree and persuades the shark to take him back to land. The moral of the story is – the presence of mind often saves us! A similar story is told in Japan, where a monkey convinces a turtle that he left his liver hanging in his tree. The turtle lost its shell and bones in punishment for letting the monkey escape with its liver and became a jellyfish. Turtles with human and monkey riders have often been portrayed by the Ardmore artists.

Another of Fèe Halsted’s favorite sources is Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, published in 1902, which offer children humorous explanations for why animals acquired their distinctive features, such as the camel’s hump and the leopard’s spots. The mighty crocodile by the Limpopo River was responsible for giving a curious baby elephant its long trunk. Despite the song that you should “never smile at a crocodile”, the Ardmore studio artists have amused us with several intrepid crocodile riders.  The fearsome reputation of these huge predators did not prevent children from playing with crocodiles in ancient allegorical sculptures of the River Nile. This tradition continued at alligator farms in the United States during the 1920s, with postcards of children riding them! The aquatic reptiles have also been featured in the River Chase design, where a monkey is being chased by a crocodile. The design is now discontinued, so no crocodile tears!

The hippopotamus is usually associated with freshwater, but one has swum into the Splash! exhibition in honor of Huberta, the hippo, who was born in KwaZulu-Natal. Between 1928 and 1931, this famous hippo traveled over 1,000 miles along the South African coast and became an international celebrity. Her movements were closely tracked by the press; she was spotted on a Durban beach and even stopped a train. Tragically, she was shot by hunters, and her body was sent to a London taxidermist. Huberta is now housed in the Amathole Museum in King William’s Town, South Africa. 

Dive into the new Splash! exhibition at WMODA to see how the Ardmore artists continue to make us smile as they eloquently tell the story of the “Zulu Kingdom from the Savanna to the Sea”.

Meet Megan Berning, Fèe Halsted’s daughter and Ardmore’s managing director, when she visits WMODA on March 7 to talk about Ardmore ceramics, design and fashion. Mar. 7 – Safari Strut

Read more…
Splash! Exhibition
Crocs and Gators in Art
The Monkey and the Shark: An African Folk Tale
A Magical Ardmore Safari