Cast ornaments of the Bajun people (Michie, n.d.)

Item — Box: 9, slide: 19.21.52

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

Slides of Africa from various sources; these slides document a variety of topics such as agriculture, landscapes, city scenes, villages, architecture, industry, transportation, commerce, and people, from throughout Africa during the 20th century.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1960 - 2000

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations. To inquire about access to this collection, please contact the Herskovits Library at africana@northwestern.edu.

Extent

From the Collection: 99 Boxes (99 slide boxes.)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

General

These ornaments made by the Bajun people are unusual in that the design on the aluminum ornament is not incised, but cast in. Beginning on the far left is a steel bar; lying in it is a bar of aluminum which was poured into the angle iron to give it a rough shape. Second from the left is the aluminum which has been pounded into a 1.5 inch wide bar about 8 inches long. The craftsman has scored a line along the right side of it prior to cutting off a length of it which will become the aluminum bracelet. Third from the left are two little files into which the craftsman has cut a design. The craftsman then pounds the file against the flat piece of softer steel that is immediately above the small file, thereby producing the design in the negative. Then he takes the aluminum strip and impresses that into the steel. This gives a raised pattern against the aluminum strip. Finally, the strip is curved to fit the wrist and files. These are traditional ornaments for Orma women.