The African store has a wide range of curio items and artefacts, ranging from old Zulu head rests & meat platters, to the popular giraffe.

Most animals are represented somewhere in our store, below is just a small selection of what we have.

Zulu Head Rests
Many groups in Africa make carved Wooden headrests to enable people to sleep without interfering with their complicated coiffure which declare their age, gender and status. 

Zulu headrests have become highly desirable collector’s pieces.

Zulu Meat Platters
Carved wooden platter from KwaZulu-Natal in Southern Africa. Noted for their elegant simplicity and sculptural beauty, such platters were used for serving meat on ceremonial occasions. Crafted from a single piece of African hardwood, the platters often have carved decoration on the underside as they would frequently be used inverted as a cover to keep the meat warm or for protection from insects. The feet and underside portions of the handles are often highly decorated for the same reason.

Milk pails
Milk pails are carved out of marula or wild fig wood. Decoration is commonly carved on either side of the pail in order to facilitate better grip whilst milking. These pails very often have a deep patina. This is due to years of accumulated handling and milk-fat.

Spears & Shields
Zulu weapons are of great interest to both collectors of African artefacts and collectors of militaria. The Zulus were great warriors, and under the leadership of Shaka they were a formidable force. Shaka introduced the stabbing spear - a short shafted, long bladed spear which was more effective that its counterpart - the throwing spear. The spear was used in conjunction with a shield or Assegai which was made of cowhide. Axes were also commonly used but are a rare find these days.

Zulu Hats
Zulu women wear wide hats like this one, called Isicholos, to proclaim their married status. The hat is based on a hairstyle that married Zulu women wore in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially, Zulu women shaved their heads, leaving a tuft of hair that they covered with fat and ochre. Later they grew the tuft into a truncated cone, wove other materials into the hair and covered their hair with fat and ochre. The women also wore headbands as a sign of respect for the adult men in their husbands families.

By the turn of the century a woven hat that to this day is usually worn on special occasions replaced the cone-shaped hairstyle. This hat has a circular basketry frame over which a cotton cloth is stretched and knotted at the top. Overstitching the cloth produced the concentric circles that begin at the top of the hat and continue over the sides.

Drums & Musical Instruments
For the musical amongst us we also carry a range of drums and musical instruments, so come and browse through our collection.

Ostrich Eggs
The big ‘Ostrolop’ or flightless bird commonly known as the Ostrich populates the Western Cape area particularly around the Oudtshoorn district, where farmers have thousands of birds.  Every part of the bird is used…the feathers are sold for down, the skins are tanned and make top of the range accessories such as handbags, shoes, belts, and the meat is eaten, it has one of the lowest cholesterols of any meat, so makes for a healthy meal.

The simple, yet stylish lines of Ostrich eggs that are cleaned and polished make a striking, contemporary centre piece for your table when you fill a large wooden bowl or platter.
 
Other times they are hand painted in great detail, usually depicting some aspect of African life.

Beaded Dolls
When the concept of "doll" is considered in the context of African culture, they are usually not children's playthings, but rather objects that are laden with ritual and religious associations within the community. They are used to teach, and entertain, they are supernatural intermediaries, and they are manipulated for ritual purposes.

These dolls are from the Ndebele tribe in Southern Africa. One of the smallest tribes of the region, the Ndebele are noted for their extraordinarily beautifully painted homes of brilliant colors that stand out like jewels in the drab countryside. Their clothing is similarly colourful.

During courtship, a suitor will place a doll outside a young woman's hut, indicating his intention to propose marriage to her.  When a young woman is preparing to marry, she is given a doll that she names and cares for. Her first child is then named for the doll.

In addition to strengthening the Ndebele cultural identity, the beaded dolls are now an important export item and much needed source of income for the Ndebele women.

Wooden Animal Carvings:

Giraffes
We have a large selection of high quality hand-carved giraffe from 3” to 6’ in size. Each wooden giraffe is hand carved and well finished from one piece of Wood by artist from Zimbabwe, through to Kenya. Wooden Giraffes bring a piece of the African continent into your home or office.

This one-of-a-kind sculpture will add beauty and style to any room.  All pieces are individually created; therefore sizes, shapes, colours and selections will vary in store.