bag;
religious/ritual equipment
- Museum number
- Af1970,24.3
- Description
-
Register 1970:
Composite bag of two monkey skins with the head of one forming the flap over the mouth of the bag; decorated with strips of beadwork and mother-of-pearl buttons, and edged with beads; with a leather strap also decorated with beads.
- Dimensions
-
Height: 120 centimetres
-
Width: 42 centimetres
-
Depth: 3.80 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- (Register, from vendor)
"Witch doctor's handbag, Butterworth area, Transkei. Made from the skin of monkeys hunted in the mountain [three vernacula terms are given on the label supplied by the vendor: Ixhwela, Imkawu, Imxowa - these may refer to witch doctor, handbag and monkey respectively, but it is not clear (John Picton)]. The white colour of some of the beads on the bag represent the healing power of the doctor. Each witch doctor gets a vision during time of call (Ukutwata). Xhosa believe that monkeys can be used by witches as medicine."
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1970
- Acquisition notes
- Af1970,24.1 to 10 were purchased from the Rev. H Wagner in Berlin. They all come from the Xhosa in South Africa and contain beadwork; the places of acquisition and functions are recorded.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Af1970,24.3