Fertility symbol

Maker
Unknown Maker
Description
Ostrich egg in leather holder. Early catalogue sheet suggests the leather is either goat or kid hide and is dyed using local vegetable dye. Holder is of green and red leather strips with four green plait leather tassels. A centre red and green plait hangs from the bottom and ends in a tassel. The egg is hung by a green leather strap. Around the diameter of the shell is a black leather band.

This fertility symbol is hung outside a woman's house. It is from the Bornu Province, Northern Nigeria, near Lake Chad (Adamana – Brit Cameroons).
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Object detail

Maker
Media/Materials
Ostrich egg and leather. Early catalogue sheet suggests leather is either goat or kid hide and is dyed using local vegetable dye.
Measurements
660mm - full hanging length [verified]
140mm - diameter [verified]
Production place
Nigeria
Collection
Ethnology
Department collection type
Ethnology
Credit line
Collection of Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato
Accession number
1983/84/6

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