MOSHOESHOE

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Moshoeshoe Sculpture

Sotho people inhabited this area of the Free State for a very long time under decentralised chiefdoms. But it was under the leadership of Moshoeshoe I in the early 1800s that they became united as a Kingdom and a people. This sculpture of a sotho man and pony is a representation of Moshoeshoe and Sotho culture more generally. Made of steel and cut by laser and then powder coated, it was designed by the Johannesburg artist James Delaney, whose similar wildlife sculptures in The Wilds Park in Lower Houghton Johannesburg have become well known. The sculpture was unveiled in July 2022, blessed by a local Sanoma—approval by the ancestors was sought and, apparently, received—and celebrated by local song and dance groups from Mautse township. The sculpture has been gifted to the town and is now a local attraction and photo back-drop.