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Container for Cosmetic Powder

At the time when this object was dispatched to Stuttgart, in many regions of Namibia, similar cosmetic boxes were used by women, and would often be passed down through the generations along female lines of succession, in some cases to this day. Made from the shell of a small turtle, these containers for cosmetic perfumed body powder were sometimes adorned with strings of beads made from various materials (in this case, metal) strung on leather cords. The object may have been attached to a waist belt. According to the museum's historical records, this particular object belonged to a member of the Herero elite of the time, but they do not mention her name. Text: Sandra Ferracuti.

Data Provider
Linden-Museum Stuttgart Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde
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Cataloguing data

Cultural attribution
Herero
Object type
Behälter
Dimensions
Breite: 8 cm, Länge: 13 cm
Material/Technique
Iron , Turtle shell, Leather, Fur, Plant fibre
Forged, pierced, threaded, knotted
Current location
Linden-Museum Stuttgart
Inventory number
054069

Provenance and sources

when
1904 or earlier

where
Namibia

when
1907
Provenance
In 1907, First Lieutenant Kurt Freiherr Treusch von Buttlar-Brandenfels donated a collection of 19 objects to the Linden Museum (including a photographic panel). Of the originally received objects, 13 still exist. Between February and April 1904, Buttlar-Brandenfels had taken part in hostilities against Herero troops in central Namibia, near Otjihinamaparero, Omatako, Otjinoanaua, Omaruru and Onganjira. 18 objects from the collection were captured during six different combat operations. According to a written statement by Buttlar-Brandenfels, the object was found in the house of an "apparently wealthy Herero" after the battle at Omatako Mountain on March 16, 1904. Text: Christoph Rippe.

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