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| Himba ochre pots - an essential fashion accessory for any Himba woman, Kaokoland, Namibia. Copyright: Heat Dust and Dreams |
Unbeknown to me at the time, this was to become the cover image of the book. At the time I had merely snapped a shot of the ochre pots as a record of these traditional Himba 'make-up' accessories. The striking red ochre is central to the daily routine of all Himba women, who lather this mix of soil and butter fat into their body. The red ochre is derived from a red soil/stone which is typically crushed into powder form with a stone pestle. The pots themselves are made from cow horns, with leather lids and bottoms. Plastic is beginning to replace the cow horn in some communities.
When it came to selecting a cover for the book, I had initially expected an image of a desert-adapted elephant to grace the front dust jacket. Struik/New Holland in-house designer Janice Evans clearly had other ideas - and an eye for a striking image! Complete with the text the image really comes into its own, as you can see below.
