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20th Century

The object consists of a dark brown tooled leather bag with attachments of iron tools, wooden whistles, and cowrie shells.
The bag is made from two pieces of leather. A large piece forms the front and back of the bag, and a narrow strip (about 2 cm. in width) is stitched between the front and back to create the bag’s thickness, as well as serving as a portion of the bag’s strap. Leather fringe with cowrie shells knotted onto some fringe ends is sewn into the front seam along the bottom. The narrow strip of leather extends above the bag about 20 cm. on each side. On the proper left side it is looped back on itself with a fringed leather strip attached to the end. Each element of the fringe ends in a cowrie shell, secured with a knot near the bottom. On the proper right side the strip is no longer doubled back on itself, although the original fold is apparent. Leather fringe ending in cowrie shells, two wooden whistles, a small wooden carving, and a leather pouch containing tweezers and two iron picks are looped around this side, but move freely on it because the strip is not doubled back. A red leather strip has been threaded through the folded over strip on the proper left side and is knotted onto the strip on the proper right side; together these strips form the carrying strap.
The bag was originally stitched together with what appears to be animal-product thread. There are at least three campaigns of thread repairs, especially along the bottom of the bag; repair threads are red, green, and tan in color. The bag was closed with a "button" on a leather strap sewn into the seam at bottom center; the button fits through a hole in a strap stitched to the bottom center of the flap.
The bag is tooled on the front face, including the flap. On the main portion of the bag the design consists of four squares, each square incised with a pairs of diagonal lines forming "x"s. A half-round sunburst-type stamp provides decoration around the perimeter, with a double row down the center dividing the squares in two parts. Tooling on the flap consists of more half-sunbursts, and it curves around the perimeter following the shape of the flap.
Three leather pouches, each containing an iron tweezer and pair of twisted iron picks, are attached to the strap on each side of the bag and the center closing strip respectively. The ends of all three iron items were made with loops, which are attached to thin circular iron loops that are in turn tied to the bag with the leather straps. The proper right leather pouch is colored black and its attachment strap is braided, while the other two pouches are red and the straps are flat strips of leather.The smaller of the two wooden whistles has inscribed designs, while the larger one is plain. The plain whistle has cracks repaired with a resin-like material.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Sacred and Ceremonial Objects

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2008.10.9

bags (containers)

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Leather with cowrie shells, wood and iron

H x W (Pouch): 9 5/8 x 9 7/16 in. (24.5 x 24 cm)
H (Strap): 24 13/16 in. (63 cm)
H (Large Whistle): 13 1/16 in. (33.1 cm)
H (Small Whistle): 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm)
H (Wooden carving): 3 1/4 in. (8.2 cm)
H x W: 3 1/4 in. (8.2 cm)

Object Name • Leather bag with tools, whistles, and shells

nmaahc_2008.10.9

NMAAHC

LEATHER BAG WITH TOOLS, WHISTLES, AND SHELLS

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1900s • 1990s

Burkina Faso • West Africa

Medicine • Clothing and dress • Religion

Country • Burkina Faso • Region • West Africa • Continent • Africa

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No Known Copyright Restrictions