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African Snuff Bottles - Snuff Containers

 

 Divination Charms

 

Flacons de Tabac à Priser Zoulous

 

Zulu Schnupftabaksflasche -  Afrikanische Schnupftabaksflasche

 

 

 

 

 

Zulu Snuff Bottle

 

Circa 1900

 

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This old snuff bottle was acquired from the  estate of Margaret McCord, the deceased daughter of Dr. John McCord. John McCord was an American missionary doctor who worked with the Zulu people in South Africa around 1900. Margaret was born in 1913 and raised in Africa during the time of her parent's missionary work. She authored several books and poems with African themes, not the least of which is "The Calling of Katie Makanya: A Memoir of South Africa." That book is the life story of a Zulu woman and McCord family friend, Katie Makanya.

 

 

 

 

This stuff bottle retains it's original stopper and was wired with both copper and brass.

 

 

Another

 

 

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This Zulu snuff bottle was decorated with copper and aluminum or nickel plate wire.

 

 

The Pair

 

 

 

 

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Beaded Diviner Charms - Phuthi

 

Sangoma - Ngaka Divination Charms - Beaded Charms

 

 

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The Phuthi live in southern Lesotho and along the common South Africa border. Phuthi are Nguni people whose closest linguistic relatives speak Swati or Siswati, as spoken in Swaziland.

 

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 Phuthi language has been somewhat influenced by nearby Mfengu, Sotho and Thembu speakers - as has the diversity of their beadwork. Regardless, both their language and material culture remains distinctive.

 

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Both beaded calabash charms were collected from Phuthi diviners in Lesotho. These are Phuthi - not Thembu or Mfengo. The owners of the beaded material illustrated in South East African Beadwork, together with assistance from advisers, correctly attributed a number of related examples as South Nguni, but incorrectly identified some as Sotho and in one case - Mfengu or Fingo.

 

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Swazi Snuff Bottle - Indlelo

 

Suspended Fluted Snuff Bottle - Doll

 

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Fluted Swazi snuff containers made of horn were worn on the hip in southern Swaziland. Cotton wool and glass beads decorated the objects. These hold a striking resemblance to Swazi fertility dolls - worn in a similar manner - by Swazi who live further north.

 

 

 

 

Left:  EVOCATIONS OF THE CHILD - Pg 162 - Karel Nel

Right:  SiCEBiLE - Pg. 25 - Gordon Crawford (Malangabi)

 

 

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We have positioned this snuff bottle upright for display purposes. It was made by the Zunda dialect speakers, who used their stuff bottles as fertility dolls, much like the Northern Swazi. Gordon Crawford writes; In southern Swaziland maidens would give their personal snuff container to their boyfriend to wear. This act of intimacy indicated to everyone that he had a girlfriend. - A few elderly Zunda speaking people interviewed have stated that they were named after snuff containers given to fathers by mothers. - This overlap between dolls and snuff containers is understandable when one realizes that both the dolls and the snuff containers are worn identically to sway from the hip at traditional dances. - It may be that the suspended snuff container is the precursor of the Swazi fertility doll, which is probably a beaded pseudo snuff container.

 

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Shona Snuff Bottle

 

Zimbabwe / Mozambique

 

 

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An extremely fine, early collected Shona snuff container of 19th century origin and form.

 

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Zulu Snuff Bottle

 

Beaded Neck Charm

 

 

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This 19th century Zulu snuff container remains in nearly pristine condition.

 

 

 

Ivys Albums

 

Beaded snuff bottles built upon bamboo were worn by Zulu Sangoma's.

 

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Himba Snuff Container

 

Hair Ornament

 

 

       

 

 

The Himba man on the left was photographed by National Geographic in Namibia. Neil Munro took the image to the right in Angola. The old man carries a Himba snuff bottle and neck rest. 

 

 

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Our steel example is much like that of Neil Munro's old man. Its base is a brass bullet casing, neck a brass ring, closed by a hide stopper. It includes a hair ornament / sweat scraper designed to adorn, scrape sweat and remove snuff from deep within the bottle.

 

 

Another

 

 

 

 

This Himba snuff container makes use of a rubber stopper.

 

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Wired and Beaded Gourds

 

South Africa

 

 

 

From the estate of Bruno Walters

 

 

In the 19th and 20th centuries, gourds were used as snuff  bottles and/or charms and were often decorated with beads or wirework.

 

 

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This Xhosa beaded calabash diviners charm called was called iselwa esigayiwayo.

 

 

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A Zulu wired gourd or calabash in pristine condition.

 

 

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A Thembu beaded calabash charm called "iselwa esigayiwayo".

 

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Zulu Snuff Bottle

 

South Africa

 

 

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This mid 20th century example was decorated in telephone wire.

 

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