Women of Brɛmawuo house, most of whom no longer live in the house, have come together for an interview sparked by a 1986 photo of them gathered around hearths in the compound's courtyard preparing food. As they talk, several of the women are processing calabash seeds (fnumu in Nafaanra), cracking the hull to extract the seed. An audio recorder sits on a low wooden stool with a lidded iron pot nearby. The binder of photos that has sparked the conversation sits on the veranda to the right. Enoch Mensah of the Banda Heritage Local Committee (interviewer, on left) sits on a blue plastic chair as he listens to the women talk about changes in foodways. L-R the women are Ama Mensah (black head scarf), Ama Nwotwenwaa (orange dress), Adwoa Hana, Yaa Yaa Dankwa and Abena Kuma. A video of the full interview can be accessed through through the "iaff_works" link below. Sabiye, 13 November, 2018.
Two women (Ama Nwotwenwaa and Yaa Yaa Dankwa) view a binder of photos during an interview in the house of Brɛmawuo about cooking practices. The interview was sparked by a 1986 photo of these and other women in the household preparing food. Two youngsters look on. Sabiye, 13 November, 2018.
Family history interview with members of Tapanwolo Katoo, including Pԑ Yaw, family head (seated, second from left), Kwadwo Ladjaa (seated, third from left) and Alhaji Adama Abudulai, Sabiye, 15 August, 1986.
The earthen walls of a house on one side of a multi-room compound have collapsed, the walls filling in the area that was once the house floor. The thatched roofs of other rooms around the open courtyard can be seen in the background. Sabiye, 1994.
Owusu Alexander weaves a large raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. To the left, wrapped on a stick that is leaning against a stack of sun-dried bricks, is a narrow mat that he wove to demonstrate mat weaving techniques. Four large pottery jars rest upside down near a house wall in the background. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has secured four split fronds around his left index finger as he weaves with his right hand. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
A dried raffia palm frond prepared for mat weaving. The stiff end of the frond has been removed and the frond has been split into two pieces almost to the base. Owusu Alexander folds and layers the two halves before weaving. Leaving the pieces attached at the base facilitates his weaving process. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. He weaves with his right hand as he secures the work with his left hand, wrapping two frond portions around his index finger as he weaves. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a bundle of raffia palm frond strips. He has removed these from the leaves as he prepared materials for mat weaving. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. He folds one set of fronds over the other with his right hand, while using his left index finger to secure his work. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a knife to split dried raffia fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. He removes the stiff rib and splits the resulting two side pieces of the frond in half, leaving a few centimeters at the base of each half unsplit. Here he folds the unsplit end in half, which allows him to easily layer the two halves when he adds them to his mat. Weaving with layered frond pieces makes a thicker and more durable mat. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a cutlass, raffia palm fronds and a stick that he has cut from the base of raffia palm frond. He has harvested these raffia materials in preparation for weaving a mat. Sabyie, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander lays out raffia palm fronds to dry in the sun. He has harvested the fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Dried raffia palm fronds, sorted in preparation for mat making. Owusu Alexander has separated the portion of the fronds he will use for mat making from those portions that are not useful. The stiff ribs (right) can be used to make brooms and the thin pieces (left) will be used as tinder in making fires. The fronds in the center are those that he will use in mat weaving. The knife he has used to separate the fronds lies on a tree root at his feet. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
