Wooden scribe's box
date: label: Accession Date
content: 29 Aug 1968
name: label: Donor Name
content: Neville Chittick
notes: label: Notes
content: From card: "Flat rectangular wooden box; tray fitted inside with sliding compartment. Top with incised decoration and brass lock at end. Brass handle on the sliding cover. Bone inlaid on corners, used for cash. Called bweta. No longer made." Reference: Bravmann, Rene´ A. 1983. African Islam. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, Pl. 90, p. 112. Identified there as box, kasha la mfuto, for holding writing materials, jewelry or money ... typically Swahili.
label: Notes
content: From African Voices exhibit: "This box held pens and inks. Swahili culture is recognized for its long tradition of written literature and poetry."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 19 Oct 2021
label: Specimen Count
content: 2
place: label: Place
content: Kenya, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Swahili
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 272775
label: USNM Number
content: E409935-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Box