Rattle, spider cocoons (?) or eggs. Worn on legs and filled with stones for dancing

Item

Title

Rattle, spider cocoons (?) or eggs. Worn on legs and filled with stones for dancing

Creator

Creator Unrecorded

Subject

Ornament

Description

Potentially owned by an 'old, blind woman' according to Diana Powell-Cotton's 1936 Diary. Generally, worn by a man or woman. One would wear a rattle on each leg and were used for dancing. The rattles were filled with small stones. The cocoons are called ononkiti, an ankle is viokowolu, the dance is ochiwanga wanga and a spider is onikiti. This is according to the Duplicate Memorandum Book (see below).

Publisher

Making African Connections

Date

c. 1930

Type

PhysicalObject

Format

Spider Cocoon or Eggs
Stones

Identifier

ETH.ANG2.820
1367 (Old Number)

Source

1936
Diana and Antoinette Powell-Cotton
Duplicate Memorandum Book with pencil writing 'Angola 1936' on cover - p. 42

Space/Place

Africa
Angola
Enclosure of Vahanda man named Kahola and wife Katalina (nee Mekunde). Between two bends of River Poponde. Between Cuvelai and Mupa.
Cultural group: Vahanda
[HFD 13/07/2021]

Rights

© The Powell-Cotton Trust