OSTRICH PICTURE ARTCLIP SERIES

One example is this necklace with a leopard’s tooth pendant. They contain materials taken from powerful animals, which were high status items.

There are some notable exceptions which can be identified as being important possessions of powerful people. Most of the things Willoughby collected were examples of ordinary or everyday objects, as explained in the previous blogs in this series. Items worn as talismans R4007/28 Leopard tooth necklace Artist and jewellery maker Martin Ndudzo talked to curator Rachel Heminway Hurst how he makes his bracelets, and explained how he makes use of metal off-cuts which he gets from his friend, who repairs fridges. Today people are still recycling metal which would otherwise go to waste. WAENT000150/1 Bracelet made by Martin Ndudzo, 2019 Some of the metal used in the bracelets may have been manufactured locally, some could have been repurposed from scrap metal from railway works, or telegraph wires, both of which were introduced in the late 1800s when Willoughby was living in Bechuanaland. While metalwork was produced in the area, there is also a culture of reuse and recycling of materials. A group of smiths smelting manganese to produce metal alloy. An important site was in the Tswapong hills, near where the Khama III Memorial Museum is located, and where Willoughby collected.

Archaeological records show that copper has been mined in northeastern Botswana for about 1,200 years. There is a long history of mining, smelting and working with metals in Southern Africa. Selected bracelets collected in the 1890s. Wearing copper is common across many cultures as a complementary medicine for conditions including arthritis and high blood pressure. These bracelets also have a purpose beyond adornment – they are worn because copper is believed to have health benefits. The collection contains dozens of examples of twisted and braided bracelets made out of copper and other metals. Project curator Tshepo Skwambane explains the importance of describing objects from the point of view of the people who made and used them: They were described as being made of seed pods, but are, in fact, made of the dried cocoons of the mopane worm, filled with small stones to create a rattling sound. They are an example of an object which was once mis-labelled in the museum. These rattles are called mathoa in Setswana, and are worn around the legs when dancing. Items worn for music and dancing R4007/75 Mathoa rattle The museum team visited the Khama III Memorial Museum in Serowe, Botswana and spoke to the curators and local people about the objects. This is something that was not recorded by Willoughby, but in some cases the significance resonates with people who live in the area where they were collected today. Many would have had meanings for their original users and owners, beyond decoration. These items could all be described as accessories or ornaments for the body, but they had diverse uses. In addition to examples of crafts such as woodcarving, basketry, and leatherwork, the collection contains objects made from a range of manmade and natural materials including beadwork, metalwork, cocoons, roots, ostrich eggshells, and the hair, skins and teeth of powerful animals. Many of these were collected by Reverend William Charles Willoughby, a missionary who lived and worked in what was then Bechuanaland in the 1890s.

OSTRICH PICTURE ARTCLIP SERIES

This series of blog posts is inspired by objects from Botswana which have been researched as part of the Making African Connections project. Makgabe (Setswana): to decorate or make something ornate.

Ostrich picture artclip