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Start Over Subject(s) handicraft

1. Painting a spindle whorl, Kokua, 1994

Description:
Spindle whorls (gԑndԑ kaan in Nafaanra) are made by Muslim men in Kokua, a village on the Sampa-Asri road. Here a man decorates fired clay whorls, applying bands of colors (white, red, yellow) to their dark surface. He applies the color using a stylus, twisting the whorl to create horizontal bands around the whorl's circumference. In the foreground a finished spindle whorl sits on top of unpainted whorls in a metal pot. A bundle of thin wooden spindles sits at the man's foot, next to a calabash that holds white pigment. Yellow pigment is held by another container, possibly a turtle shell (carapace). Next to it, a red pigment stone (ochre) rests on a heavily worn grinding stone. The beauty of such a painted spindle whorl inspired the Nafaanra proverb "Chlͻ were nyu na gԑndԑ yi" (The woman is as beautiful as the spindle whorl.") Archaeological examples of whorls found on late 18th- and 19th-century sites in the Banda area are often shaped like these from Kokua, but few show signs of paint, perhaps because it has worn off during use. Kokua, 1994.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Kokua
Subjects:
Men's work; Decoration; Paint; Grinding stone
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Spindle whorls; Ocher
Identifier:
16
Creator:
Dr. M. Dores Cruz
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1994
Date searchable:
1994
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Kokua;7.852430, -2.646146
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. M. Dores Cruz
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
7.852430, -2.646146

2. Spindle and spindle whorl, 1982

Description:
A spindle (gԑndԑ in Nafaanra) and a spindle whorl (gԑndԑ kaan in Nafaanra) used to make cotton thread. A black camera lens cap shows scale. For much of the 20th century, spinning was a routine activity for women. Some of the spun cotton thread was dyed blue. The blue thread was woven together with white thread to make durable strip-woven cloths that were highly valued. The rounded spindle whorl is made from fired clay and painted with white and red designs. The spindle whorl's decoration inspired the Nafaanra proverb: "Chlͻ were nyu na gԑndԑ yi" (The woman is as beautiful as the spindle whorl." Archaeologists have found spindle whorls on Banda-area archaeological sites dating to the late 18th and early 19th century. Before that time it seems that spinning cotton was not a routine household activity and that cloth was made in market centers. The spindle whorl is laying on a courtyard floor, with an eroding plaster layer visible in the background. Gbao, September, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Relation:
https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-16831 ; https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-17202
Location(s) Facet:
Gbao
Subjects:
Cotton thread
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Spindle whorls; West African strip weaving; Spinning
Identifier:
28
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-09
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Gbao;8.147021, -2.362744
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
8.147021, -2.362744

3. Burned bone used in spinning, Gbao, 1982

Description:
A plastic bowl holds pieces of animal bone that have been burned at a high temperature (calcined). Calcined bone turns white and its texture becomes chalky. Women periodically rub this bone chalk on their fingers to aid handling of the cotton as they spin to make cotton thread from raw fiber. Also in the bowl is a round clay spindle whorl (gԑndԑ kaan in Nafaanra) painted with white lines and a daub of white-and black cloth. Gbao, September, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Relation:
https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-17202 ; https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-16830
Location(s) Facet:
Gbao
Subjects:
Burned bone; Plastic container
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Spindle whorls; Spinning
Identifier:
29
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-09
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Gbao;8.147021, -2.362744
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
8.147021, -2.362744

4. Clay grinding bowls drying, Bondakile, 1982

Description:
A toddler girl wearing a protective strand of beads sits beside finished clay grinding bowls that have been set aside to continue drying before firing. The scoring on the interior of the bowl provides a rough surface against which cooked vegetables can be ground into a paste before being added to a soup. These bowls may also serve as men's eating bowls (pԑԑ in Nafaanra). Bondakile, October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bondakile
Subjects:
Grinding bowls; Potting; Drying
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Pottery making; Pottery; Beads
Identifier:
12
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-10
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Bondakile;7.986031, -2.546331
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
7.986031, -2.546331

5. Making a woven tray, Dompofie, 1995

Description:
A man in Dompofie makes a basketry tray (gbrewa in Nafaanra). He uses a (metal?) tube as a frame. First the warp slats are placed at intervals on the frame. Then the weft slats are interwoven with the weft, starting from the center and working outward to the edges. Trays like this could be used in crop processing or for temporarily storing foodstuffs. A finished, well-worn basketry tray is visible, upper left, leaning against a pole. Dompofie, 1995.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Dompofie
Subjects:
Men's work; Trays
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Basket making
Identifier:
5
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1995
Date searchable:
1995
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Dompofie;8.148574, -2.367172
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
8.148574, -2.367172

6. Partially formed clay jars drying, Bondakile, 1982

Description:
These partially formed clay jars (chͻ in Nafaanra) are drying, resting on the palette (kpankpa in Nafaanra) on which they were formed. Once dried to a leather-hard state, the potter removes them from the plate and, using fresh moist clay, adds a rounded base to the jar. To the left, a metal cooking vessel rests nearby. Bondakile, October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bondakile
Subjects:
Metal pots; Potting; Drying; Jars
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Pottery making; Pottery
Identifier:
10
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-10
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Bondakile;7.986031, -2.546331
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
7.986031, -2.546331

7. Potting clay source, Bondakile, 1982

Description:
Surface next to the deep clay pit where potters form Bondakile mine the clay they use for making pottery. Piles of excavated clay surround the pit. Bondakile, October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Relation:
https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-17214
Location(s) Facet:
Bondakile
Subjects:
Potting
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Pottery making; Clay mining
Identifier:
18
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-10
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Bondakile;7.986031, -2.546331
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
7.986031, -2.546331

8. Fired and finished clay jars, Bondakile, 1982

Description:
A group of four clay jars cool after being removed from the bonfire and dipped in bark solution. The solution carbonizes as it comes in contact with the hot surface of the pot, creating a glossy darkened surface that reduces the jar's porosity. A portion of one jar's rim has broken off during the firing and finishing process. Visible on the lower pot surfaces is the maize cob (bledjukaan in Nafaanra) roulette applied to create a roughened surface prior to firing. Shallow grooves used to decorate the upper surfaces are visible on the jar in the foreground. Pieces of bark from the bark solution adhere to the jars' surfaces. Bondakile, October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bondakile
Subjects:
Potting; Maize cob roulette; Decoration
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Pottery making; Pottery; Firing (Ceramics)
Identifier:
25
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-10
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Bondakile;7.986031, -2.546331
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
7.986031, -2.546331

9. Clay jars stacked on firewood, awaiting firing, Bondakile, 1982

Description:
Dried clay jars are carefully placed on top of firewood in preparation for firing. Their surfaces have been textured by rolling a maize cob (bledjukaan in Nafaanra) over the jars' lower surface (maize cob roulette) and decorated with shallow arched grooves made when the pot was in a leather-hard state. Additional fuel will be placed on top of the stacked pottery before the fire is lit. After the fire has burned down the pots will be removed and finished by being dipped while hot in a bark solution. Bondakile, October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bondakile
Subjects:
Potting; Bonfire; Maize cob roulette; Decoration
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Pottery making; Pottery; Firing (Ceramics); Firewood
Identifier:
37
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-10
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Bondakile;7.986031, -2.546331
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
7.986031, -2.546331

10. Clay jars stacked on firewood, awaiting firing, Bondakile, 1982

Description:
Finished and dried clay pottery jars are carefully placed on top of firewood in preparation for firing. Previously fired broken or flawed pots are used to bank the fuel, keeping it in place. Additional fuel will be placed on top of the stacked pottery and the fuel set on fire. The resulting bonfire will be allowed to burn down, after which the pots will be removed and finished while hot by being dipped in a bark solution. Mensah Listowell, Research Assistant (blue shirt), stands by as the potters prepare to place more fuel on the stacked pottery. Bondakile, October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bondakile
Subjects:
Women's work; Potting; Bonfire; Jars
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Pottery making; Pottery; Firing (Ceramics); Firewood
Identifier:
36
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
1982
Date searchable:
1982-10
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Location(s):
Bondakile;7.986031, -2.546331
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
7.986031, -2.546331