Africa | UNI Museum @ Rod Library

Displaying 1 - 9 of 9

	Catalog #	Name	Description
1	2010.17.10	Whisk, Fly	long slim piece of plastic with dark gray/black horse hair attached and a black braided plastic handle and end piece to wrap around the wrist.
2	2022-27-1	Bottle Cap Sistrum	African bottle cap sistrum, or tambourine. The sistrum originated in Egypt as a sacred instrument, it is now used in a variety of ways throughout Africa. This particular example has a hollow gourd rattle filled with unknown material at the base connected to a three-pronged branch. The top of each prong has been intentionally split to approximately 2 cm from the top, metal wire has been strung between the prongs and secured by wrapping through the splits and around the wood. On this wire are 42 flattened metal bottle caps spread out between the three gaps.
3	2022-27-3	Juju Nut Shaker	Woven nut shaker, most likely meant to be tied around the waist, arm, or leg based on length. Woven band is made from an unknown fiber and has 30 large, hollowed out juju nut halves dangling from the center. The nuts are attached to the band via woven strands of the same fiber strung through holes made in the tops and knotted, each individual strand holds two nuts, one on each end. The strands are then woven into the band, allowing each nut to dangle down. The band itself is made up of three woven strands; there are several centimeters of excess material on either side of the nuts, one end is braided and knotted while the other is left unwoven and knotted.
4	2022-27-32	Slit Drum	Objects consists of three parts: 2022-27-32A, an African slit drum, and 2022-27-32B and 2022-27-32C, two drumsticks. 2022-27-32A is a cylindrical type slit drum made from a single piece of wood, most likely a tree trunk which has been hollowed out; the walls of the drum are intentionally unevenly carved, allowing for multiple tones to be played. This particular example of a slit drum is very simple with no decorative carvings or ornamentation; the titular "slit" in the top of the drum is made up of two large, rectangular holes connected by a thin slit. 2022-27-32B is a cylindrical wooden drumstick which is starting to fray, the fraying is present throughout but significantly worse on one end, indicating that was most likely the side used to play. 2022-27-32C is a cylindrical wooden drumstick which has significant wear and fraying, it is smaller and lighter than 2022-27-32B.
5	2022-27-48	Bottle Cap Sistrum	African bottle cap sistrum, or tambourine. The sistrum originated in Egypt as a sacred instrument, it is now used in a variety of ways throughout Africa. This particular example has a long handle with a carving of a woman kneeling down and holding an unknown item, the carved woman has clear facial features with a long forehead, wide open eyes, prominent nose, frowning mouth, and long earlobes, she also has breasts and appears to be wearing either a dress or skirt based on the presence of a line going across the legs, the back of the arms and feet have also been carved. Above the figure there are holes made in the stick in which thinner, curved sticks have been inserted, forming the outside of the sistrum, these sticks appear to be held in place by a purple substance, possibly some kind of wax. Four metal wires have been strung across the circle made by the curved sticks, wrapping around the wider stick in the center for additional support, across this wire 32 flattened metal bottle caps have been strung through holes punched in their centers.
6	2022-27-51	Bottle Cap Sistrum	African bottle cap sistrum, or tambourine. The sistrum originated in Egypt as a sacred instrument and is now used in a variety of ways throughout Africa. This particular example is made from a stick which has been bent into a circular shape with four metal wires strung across it, forming a crisscross pattern in the center of the ring. 30 metal bottle caps have been flattened and strung across this wire through holes punched in their centers, allowing the instrument to make a metallic jingling sound when shaken.
7	2022-27-54	Maraca	Rattle made of a dried gourd and a stick. The stick is smooth and notched at the bottom, it goes through the gourd completely with part of the stick protruding from the top of the gourd. The gourd has decorative carvings on the outside and is full of seeds.
8	2022-27-81	Thumb Piano	Simple thumb piano, also known as a Kalimba or Karimba, made from wood a wood base and metal tines. The base consists of a single piece of wood which has been carved into a slightly flared rectangular shape, the center of the wood has been carved thin and mostly flat and has a single hole in the center; there are thin walls left on the right and left sides which are approximately 1.5 cm high and an approximately 2.5 cm long block left at the top to help secure the metal tines, the bottom end of the base is left open. There are 13 metal tines of varying widths which are attached via metal wire woven between small holes in the wooden base and a thin metal cylinder at the edge of the block at the top of the base. The tops of the tines rest on the wooden block at the top of the base; the tines are further supported by a thin metal bar situated approximately 2 cm down from the wooden block.
9	2022-27-87	Thumb Piano	Simple thumb piano, also known as a Kalimba or Karimba, made from wood a wood base and metal tines. The base is a hollow wooden box held together with metal nails; there are two sound holes, one near the center of the front and the other near the proper left edge on the back. There are 15 metal tines of varying lengths (although it appears there were originally more based on a gap near the middle), all bent into a curved shape; the tines are held in place by a piece of thick metal wire which is stretched across them and secured to the base through holes in the wood. To support the tines there is a stick wedged underneath them approximately 1.5 cm above the wire and a thin piece of metal wedged underneath them approximately 2 cm below the wire; each tine has a metal cuff located between the wire and the metal support piece.