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Furnish Things to make a home

Gallery Guide

Things to make a home

From delicately carved wooden pillows to simple clay lamps, these are objects that have shed light into spaces and brought comfort to places across the world. Consider the symbols and patterns that adorn these objects and think about the care and skill that has gone into crafting them. We invite you to think about the things that you place in your home or place of shelter and the comfort they may bring.

Zone

Furnish 1

Can you help discover more about these objectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stories?

The objects marked with this symbol are unidentified or need further research. Take a look at the folder in the bookcase by the seating area. It has images and information about these objects. We welcome your ideas, input or expertise.

Masi, bark cloth

Ngatu, bark cloth

This richly-patterned masi (Fijian decorated bark cloth) would have been made and decorated by women using stencils made out of large leaves, a technique unique to Fiji. It is painted in traditional red, dark brown and black colours. It appears to be a cut section of a longer sheet. Colonisation by the British changed many aspects of life in Fiji, including the production of bark cloth, but a revival of traditional methods of making has taken place in many communities and masi continues to be an important feature of ceremonial and everyday life. While bark cloth is most often thought of as coming from Pacific Islands, it has also been made in South America, Indonesia and parts of Africa.

Bark cloth is a traditional paper-like textile made by women in many Pacific societies and used for wall hangings, room dividers, bedding and clothing. It is an important symbol of status and is often gifted at ceremonial events, such as births, weddings and funerals. Bark cloth is made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree and beaten to form long strips which are then beaten together into a large sheet. In Tonga ngatu (bark cloth) is decorated with paints made from the bishop wood tree (light brown) and the red mangrove (dark brown). A unique feature of Tongan ngatu is the inclusion of writing in the decoration, often commemorating historical events or genealogical histories. Ours has writing which we are yet to translate. The section with writing will only be visible part of the time, as the cloth is rotated to help preserve the decoration.

Fiji, Pacific Ocean

Late 19th – early 20th century

“Our history is written, not in books, but in our mats” Queen Sālote Tupou III, Tonga

Tonga, Pacific Ocean

Early 20th century

Headrests & seats Wooden headrests are used in parts of Africa, China, Japan and the Pacific Islands. They are commonly used in central, western and southern Africa as a way to protect the owner’s hair whilst resting. Hairstyles which are braided or decorated often need to be preserved for weeks before being restyled. Headrests and seats are often associated with spiritual and religious beliefs and can indicate the status of the owner.

Headrest This is in the shape of an animal, probably an elephant. Ngoni people, Southern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia)

Collected in South Africa between 1860-1880

King Prempeh’s miniature stool Asante Kingdom, Ghana, Africa Given by Asantehene (king) Prempeh I of Asante to Captain Roberts, in Sierra Leone in 1900. In 1896, during the ‘Scramble for Africa’, the British invaded the Asante Kingdom with the intention of making it into a British protectorate. Prempeh advocated non-violent resistance but was taken prisoner, along with other members of his family and several Asante chiefs. They were first held captive in Sierra Leone (where Captain Roberts was presumably one of Prempeh’s captors), then in 1900 exiled to an island in the Seychelles which the British used as a prison for political prisoners. The British declared the Asante Kingdom the British Gold Coast colony. Prempeh and the other surviving exiles were allowed to return in 1924. The Gold Coast became the independent Republic of Ghana in 1957.

Late 19th century

Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting Movement, was one of the commanding officers of the 1896 invasion force, and took Prempeh prisoner. He wrote a book about the invasion which talks about Prempeh and the Asante people in derogatory terms. Prempeh nonetheless went on to be a founding member and president of Scouting in Ghana.

Headrest

Leather pillow

Headrests were mainly used by adult men in Shona society. They were important religious symbols, often present during ceremonies honouring ancestors and are sometimes buried with their owner or passed on as heirlooms.

Made from lacquered leather around a bamboo frame and painted with floral patterns which are now very difficult to see. These pillows or neck supports are often called opium pillows as they were used to rest on while smoking opium.

Tsonga or Shona people, Mozambique or Zimbabwe, Africa

Late 19th – mid 20th century

Headrest

China, Asia

Footstool

“How are you supposed to have a pillow fight with that?!” placement student with Baby People, Derby

UK, Europe

? Africa, unprovenanced

19th – early 20th century

Late 19th – mid 20th century

Headrest

Kali, headrest

‘My pillow is my head’s happy place” museum visitor

Fijian headrests may have been developed in response to belief in the sacredness of the head, which shouldn’t be allowed to touch the ground.

Sudan, Africa

19th century

Late 19th – mid 20th century

Fiji, Pacific Ocean

19th – early 20th century

Headrest Shona people have used headrests for many centuries. Excavations at Great Zimbabwe have found evidence of headrests buried with their owners as long ago as the 12th century. Shona people, Zimbabwe, Africa

No’oanga, chief’s stool Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean

19th century

Late 19th – early 20th century The no’oanga was an important symbol of the chief’s status.

Headrest This headrest has a handle to allow the owner to carry it around. Karamajong people, Uganda, Africa

Mid 20th century

Headrest Bongo people, South Sudan, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Mesbah, ceremonial oil lamp Mesbahs are decorated with geometric patterns symbolising fertility and are carried during wedding ceremonies. They are then placed in the newly-married couple’s bedroom to protect them. Kabyle pottery is hand-made by women and usually dried in the open air instead of being fired in a kiln.

Kabyle people, northern Algeria, Africa

19th – early 20th century

Three Sukunda, ritual oil lamps These would be lit for religious occasions and special events such as birthdays, when leaving home, passing exams or starting new projects. Most Newar people practice both Hinduism and Buddhism and the symbolism of both religions is shown on Sukunda lamps.

Newar people, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, Asia

Photo : Chevy-Jordan Thompson

19th – early 20th century

Roman, Greek and Hellenistic lamps

Roman discus oil lamp

People first made pottery oil lamps around 6,000 years ago. They were widely used throughout the Mediterranean region (where most of these lamps come from) from 1500 BCE. Originally they were just open saucers but designs became more enclosed as a means of holding both the oil and wick in place, as well as focussing the light better. The most recognisable type is the style used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. They were usually mould-made and had a hole where olive oil was added and an opening at the end where a flax or papyrus wick was inserted. Some also had a handle for carrying them around. Although the basic form of lamp remained the same, there was a wide variety of regional styles, shapes and decorations. Some lamps were purely functional but others were clearly made for special occasions or for religious ceremonies.

Cyprus, Europe

c.1-500 CE

Roman discus oil lamp Cyprus, Europe

c.1-500 CE

Row 1 Roman oil lamp

Greek padlock oil lamp Greece, Europe

North Africa

c. 30 BCE-400 CE

Roman oil lamp North Africa

700-300 BCE

Hellenistic oil lamp c. 30 BCE-400 CE

Dendera, Egypt, Africa

350-30 BCE

Row 2

Row 3 Roman discus oil lamp

Roman-Egyptian ‘frog lamp’ This is in the shape of a stylised frog.

Europe, unprovenanced

c.1-500 CE

Egypt, Africa

Saucer oil lamp

Hellenistic oil lamp

Found in 1918 in the catacombs at St Agata, Rabat, Malta.

Rabat, Malta, Europe

Hellenistic oil lamp

This is in the shape of a stylised form of frog. In Ancient Egypt frogs were associated with fertility and rebirth, due to their appearance with the annual flooding of the Nile.

Unprovenanced - Europe, north Africa or Middle East, Asia

Malta, Europe

700-200 BCE

c.200-650 CE

300-100 BCE

c.100-500 CE

Blackware Hellenistic oil lamp

Saucer oil lamp

Agrigento, southern Sicily, Europe

Roman-Egyptian ‘frog lamp’

Egypt, Africa

c.100-500 CE

Late 19th - early 20th century

Egypt, Africa

300-100 BCE

Hellenistic oil lamp Dendera, Egypt, Africa

Islamic oil lamp 350-30 BCE North Africa or Middle East, Asia

Row 4

Oil lamps

c. 1000-1200 CE

Byzantine slipper oil lamp Eastern Mediterranean coast, Middle East, Asia

c. 400-800 CE

Unprovenanced

Iron Age oil lamp Row 5 Contay, northern France, Europe

Saucer oil lamp

c. 700-200 BCE

Said to have been found during an early 20th century excavation on Irongate, Derby.

Derby, UK, Europe

Undated

Row 7

Row 6

Islamic black-glazed oil lamp

Oil lamp

Cyprus, Europe

undated

c. 1400- 600 BCE North Africa or Middle East, Asia

c. 1000-1200 CE

Islamic green-glazed oil lamp

Red slip ware oil lamp

North Africa

c. 1000-1200 CE

Islamic green-glazed oil lamp

Saucer oil lamp Cyprus, Europe

North Africa or Middle East, Asia

c. 300-500 CE

North Africa or Middle East, Asia

c. 1000-1200 CE

Islamic green-glazed oil lamp

Saucer oil lamp Found in 1918 in the catacombs at St Agata, Rabat, Malta.

North Africa or Middle East, Asia Rabat, Malta, Europe

c. 1000-1200 CE

c.200-650 CE

Row 8 Oil lamp

UK, Europe

c.1500-1700 CE

Islamic green-glazed oil lamp

North Africa or Middle East, Asia

c. 1000-1200 CE

Islamic green-glazed oil lamp

North Africa or Middle East, Asia

c. 1100-1400 CE

Islamic green-glazed oil lamp

North Africa or Middle East, Asia

c. 1000-1200 CE

Photo : David Edge

Carved ivory tusk

Carved ivory tusk Acquired in Nigeria, made in the Loango coast, Congo region, Africa

Mid 19th – early 20th century

The figures on this tusk are carved in a spiral. This may represent the path followed by the living and the dead as they climb from the ocean to the mountains leading to the capital of the Kingdom of Kongo and the home of the ancestors. Loango coast, Congo region, Africa

Carved elephant tusks were made in the Loango region for sale to Europeans. They often depict scenes related to the transatlantic trade in slaves and goods, as well as scenes from everyday life. This tusk includes images of people carrying boxes and bundles of trade goods, a captive bird-man with a chain around his neck, and armed Europeans. The middle row shows three bird-men figures.

Wall-mounted flower vase Vases of this type are unusual but it is likely that this was produced for use in a church. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries Christian missionaries, particularly Methodists, were a constant presence in the British Colony of Fiji in an effort to convert the islands to Christianity. Fiji, Pacific Ocean

Mid 19th – early 20th century

Late 19th – early 20th century

Napkin ring box

Basket

This would have been made for and used by European settlers. It is decorated with melon seeds and metal beads. You can see the napkin rings in the Consume zone.

This once belonged to Richard Arthur Poulden who worked for the Kenyan prison service in the 1920s and 1930s.

South Africa

Late 19th century, [acquired by donor in about 1900 donated to Burton museum in 1937]

Wakahuia, treasure boxes These boxes were made for the early tourist market. Each lid is carved with ‘kia ora’, a Maori greeting meaning ‘have life, be healthy’, carved on it.

Maori people, New Zealand, Pacific Ocean

Early 20th century

Brass box The heart-shape may represent the betel leaf and this box may have been made to contain betel nuts and leaves. Chewing betel nuts and leaves is a tradition over much of southern Asia. Kashmir, India/Pakistan, Asia

19th – early 20th century

Kenya, Africa

c.1920 – 1935

Gourd box Engraved with geometric designs and animal figures.

Pai Tavytera people, Paraguay, South America

Late 19th – early 20th century

Leather covered tea caddy This is a European made tin tea box, covered with leather and decorated with woven grasses by craftspeople in West Africa. It would have been made for sale to tourists. West Africa, probably Sierra Leone

Late 19th – early 20th century

Leather covered basket Hausa people, Ghana, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Basket covered with cowrie shells Sub-Saharan Africa, unprovenanced

Late 19th – early 20th century

Baskets Baskets are often made in large quantities and have a wide variety of uses, including food storage and collecting crops. Africa, unprovenanced

Late 19th – early 20th century

Mica paintings Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia

Bought in Tiruchirappalli in 1862

Mica paintings were produced in sets of standard popular subjects, as souvenirs for Europeans. Many were sold to employees of the East India Company in the 18th and early 19th century and they became known as ‘Company paintings’. These were bought by William Saumarez Smith in 1862, when he was Chaplain to the Bishop of Madras (now Chennai). He later became the Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.

Basket platter with lid This once belonged to Richard Arthur Poulden who worked for the Kenyan prison service in the 1920s and 1930s. He used it as a food server. Kenya, Africa

c.1920 – 1935

Leather cushion In many areas of North Africa leather is used for making personal and household items. These items are often decorated with leather strips which are knotted or woven together. Tuareg people, Algeria, North Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Brass figures Abomey brass figures are unique among traditional African figures, in that they don’t have religious significance. They were created as household ornaments and would have been displayed as decorative objects and signs of wealth. Many were also made for sale to Europeans.

Figure of a woman holding a child and pounding food Fon people, Abomey, Republic of Benin, Africa

Figure of three women holding up a large cooking pot

Figure of an animal, possibly an ibex

Fon people, Abomey, Republic of Benin, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Figure of a woman holding a baby and umbrella

Figure of three women pounding food

Umbrellas were status symbols and the umbrella here indicates that she is an important person, perhaps the wife of a chief.

Fon people, Abomey, Republic of Benin, Africa

Late 19th – early 20th century

Figure of an elephant throwing a man

Derby porcelain figure of Juno and the peacock

Fon people, Abomey, Republic of Benin, Africa

In much of Europe, porcelain figures have been displayed in homes as a decorative show of wealth, like the Abomey brass figures

Late 19th – early 20th century

Derby Porcelain Nottingham Road Factory, Derby, UK, Europe

Late 19th – early 20th century

c. 1765

Words offered by visitors This gallery is built on a foundation of shared experiences that were offered by thousands of people at the start of the project. The words are a mix of values, emotions and actions and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve shaped the way the collection is displayed and explained Here are a few that relate to this zone.

pictures family art comfort dreams bed protection shelter relaxation style creativity beauty belongings culture decorate identity friendship sociability Photo : Chevy-Jordan Thompson

Glossary

Acknowledgements

Here are explanations of a few terms used in this guide

‘Objects of love, hope and fear’ has been coproduced with an amazing team of volunteers, visitors and partners. Our deepest thanks go to out to all of you for your generosity of time, knowledge, skill and energy.

BCE

An extra special thank you to:

Before Common Era (equivalent of BC ‘before Christ’)

Sheikh Qazi Abdul Mateen Al-Azhari

Alan Foord

Rajaa Sakhari

Lisa Graves

Gaye Sculthorpe

Andy & Margaret Austen

Common Era (equivalent of AD ‘anno Domini’, the year Christ was born)

Jeff Hallam

Lizzy Serieys

Soshain Bali

Theresa Hempsall

Susan Sharif

Sheana Barby

Stephen Hill

Val Shelton

Richard Bartle

Anne Ishikawa

Christopher Simpson

Abbreviation of circa, a Latin word meaning ‘around’ or ‘about’

Wendy Biz-Lage

Bali Jenkins

Alison Solomon

Ollie Brown

Lisa Kavanagh

Alice Southwood

James Bucklow

Zachary Kingdon

Celeste Sturgeon

Clare Calder-Marshall

Michelle Laverick

Jackie Taylor

Andrew Carrier

Steve Lockley

Jonathan Taylor

Richard Carter

Antonia Lovelace

Chevy J Thompson

Sub-Saharan Africa

Shannon Cherry

Emson Maneya

Tim Unwin

The area south of the Saharan desert in the continent of Africa

Lia Colombino

Katarina Massing

Karim Vahed

Melissa Coons

Adam McCready

Shelagh Wain

Elspeth Cranston

Amelia Meran

Toni Walford

Ed Darby

Zagba Oyortey

Kat & John Woodward

Lubna Din

Oral Phillips

Sarah Worden

Dubrek Studios

Naomi Pierrepoint

Barbara Woroncow

Serene Duff

Helen Powell

Kerry Edwards

David & Janette Edge

Adeena Raslee

Hope Falk

Alison Englefield

Steven Pryce

Jade Foster

Catherine Falkner

Naomi Rubinstein

Margaret Wright

Pacific Ocean Islands in the Pacific Ocean east of Indonesia and Australia

Unprovenanced The object’s place of origin is unknown

Guide co-designed with Leach Studio. Published by Derby Museums 2018.

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