NOTE THIS WAS DONE AS PART OF SECTION 5 and SECTION 7
9. Breakdown of total number of objects by type for each country
List of types:
Clothing
Figures
Music
Ornaments and beads **
Pottery
Religion
Specimens
Tools
Vessels
Weapons
This list is based on the ten [**or eleven if beads and ornaments are taken together (though note that some beads are also ornaments)] most common types of objects globally up to 1945 (see below for further information).
All Africa objects up to 1945 by type:
Agriculture - 345
Animalia - 1,074
Animal Gear - 315
Archery Weapon - 3,001
Armour Weapon - 61
Bag - 343
Barkcloth - 108
Basketry - 1,295
Body Art - 335
Box - 1,014
Carving - 36
Ceremonial - 802
Children - 365
Clothing - 1,180
Commemoration - 25
Cordage - 331
Currency - 913
Dance - 297
Death - 1,766
Divination Religion - 437
Dwelling - 95
Fan - 99
Figure - 2,384
Fire - 217
Firearm Weapon - 409
Fishing - 249
Food - 1,359
Food-gathering - 77
Furniture Dwelling - 549
Geology - 581
Headhunting - 6
Hunting - 251
Insignia - 226
Lighting - 245
Lock - 76
Marriage - 136
Mask - 166
Measurement - 2,358
Medicine - 779
Metallurgy - 332
Model - 362
Music - 2,134
Narcotic - 1,112
Navigation - 141
Ornament & Bead - 8,320
Photograph - 720
Physical Anthropology - 225
Picture - 417
Plant - 632
Pottery - 3,671
Punishment and Torture - 96
Religion - 4,322
Reproduction - 582
Scientific Apparatus - 0
Signal - 18
Specimen - 1,933
Sport - 20
Status - 732
Technique - 647
Textile - 600
Theatre - 16
Time - 7
Toilet - 613
Tool - 15,602
Toy & Game - 810
Trade - 1,149
Transport - 438
Vessel - 2,498
Weapon - 7,453
Writing - 441
| Classes |
Africa |
% |
| Total number |
47,113 |
- |
| Agriculture |
345 |
0.7 |
| Animalia |
1,074 |
2.2 |
| Animal Gear |
315 |
0.6 |
| Bag |
343 |
0.7 |
| Barkcloth |
108 |
0.2 |
| Basketry |
1,295 |
2.7 |
| Body Art |
335 |
0.7 |
| Box |
1,014 |
2.1 |
| Carving |
36 |
0 |
| Ceremonial |
802 |
1.7 |
| Children |
365 |
0.7 |
| Clothing |
1,180 |
2.5 |
| Commemoration |
25 |
0 |
| Cordage |
331 |
0.7 |
| Currency |
913 |
1.9 |
| Dance |
297 |
0.6 |
| Death |
1,766 |
3.7 |
| Dwelling |
95 |
0.2 |
| Fan |
99 |
0.2 |
| Figure |
2,384 |
5.0 |
| Fire |
217 |
0.4 |
| Fishing |
249 |
0.5 |
| Food |
1,359 |
2.8 |
| Furniture Dwelling |
549 |
1.1 |
| Geology |
581 |
1.2 |
| Headhunting |
6 |
0 |
| Hunting |
251 |
0.5 |
| Insignia |
226 |
0.4 |
| Lighting |
245 |
0.5 |
| Lock |
76 |
0.1 |
| Marriage |
136 |
0.2 |
| Mask |
166 |
0.3 |
| Measurement |
2,358 |
5.0 |
| Medicine |
779 |
1.6 |
| Metallurgy |
332 |
0.7 |
| Model |
362 |
0.7 |
| Music |
2,134 |
4.5 |
| Narcotic |
1,112 |
2.3 |
| Navigation |
141 |
0.2 |
| Ornament & bead |
8,320 |
17.6 |
| Photograph |
720 |
1.5 |
| Physical Anthropology |
225 |
0.4 |
| Picture |
417 |
0.8 |
| Plant |
632 |
1.3 |
| Pottery |
3,671 |
7.7 |
| Punishment & Torture |
96 |
0.2 |
| Religion |
4,322 |
9.1 |
| Reproduction |
582 |
1.2 |
| Scientific Apparatus |
0 |
0 |
| Specimen |
1,933 |
4.1 |
| Sport |
20 |
0 |
| Status |
732 |
1.5 |
| Technique |
647 |
1.3 |
| Textile |
600 |
1.2 |
| Theatre |
16 |
0 |
| Time |
7 |
0 |
| Toilet |
613 |
1.3 |
| Toy & Game |
810 |
1.7 |
| Trade |
1,149 |
2.4 |
| Transport |
438 |
0.9 |
| Vessel |
2,498 |
5.3 |
| Writing |
441 |
0.9 |
| Definite Tool |
13,078 |
27.7 |
| Definite Weapon |
4,929 |
10.4 |
| Either tool or weapon |
2,525 |
5.3 |
| Stone tool [definite] |
12,936 |
27.4 |
| Percentage of tools that are stone tools |
99% |
- |
All African objects by type in descending order:
Ornament & Bead - 8,320
Weapon - 7,453
Religion - 4,322
Pottery - 3,671
Archery Weapon - 3,001
Vessel - 2,498
Figure - 2,384
Measurement - 2,358
Music - 2,134
Specimen - 1,933
Death - 1,766
Food - 1,359
Basketry - 1,295
Clothing - 1,180
Trade - 1,149
Narcotic - 1,112
Animalia - 1,074
Box - 1,014
Currency - 913
Toy & Game - 810
Ceremonial - 802
Medicine - 779
Status - 732
Photograph - 720
Technique - 647
Plant - 632
Toilet - 613
Textile - 600
Reproduction - 582
Geology - 581
Furniture Dwelling - 549
Writing - 441
Transport - 438
Divination Religion - 437
Picture - 417
Firearm Weapon - 409
Children - 365
Model - 362
Agriculture - 345
Bag - 343
Body Art - 335
Metallurgy - 332
Cordage - 331
Animal Gear - 315
Dance - 297
Hunting - 251
Fishing - 249
Lighting - 245
Insignia - 226
Physical Anthropology - 225
Fire - 217
Mask - 166
Navigation - 141
Marriage - 136
Barkcloth - 108
Fan - 99
Punishment and Torture - 96
Dwelling - 95
Food-gathering - 77
Lock - 76
Armour Weapon - 61
Carving - 36
Commemoration - 25
Sport - 20
Signal - 18
Theatre - 16
Time - 7
Headhunting - 6
Scientific Apparatus - 0
| Global up to 1945 |
Africa up to 1945 |
||||
| Position |
Type |
No. of objects |
Position |
Type |
No of objects |
| 1 |
Tool |
68,459 |
1 |
Tool |
15,602 |
| 2 |
Weapon |
32,794 |
2 |
Ornament & Bead |
8,320 |
| 3 |
Ornament & Bead ** |
21,345 |
3 |
Weapon |
7,453 |
| 4 |
Religion |
15,125 |
4 |
Religion |
4,322 |
| 5 |
Pottery |
12,597 |
5 |
Pottery |
3,671 |
| 6 |
Figure |
9,571 |
6 |
Vessel |
2,498 |
| 7 |
Vessel |
7,463 |
7 |
Figure |
2,384 |
| 8 |
Clothing |
6,846 |
8 |
Measurement |
2,358 |
| 9 |
Specimen |
6,722 |
9 |
Music |
2,134 |
| 10 |
Music |
6,038 |
10 |
Specimen |
1,933 |
| 11 |
Textile |
5,755 |
11 |
Death |
1,766 |
| 12 |
Toy & Game |
5,645 |
12 |
Food |
1,359 |
| 13 |
Food |
4,907 |
13 |
Basketry |
1,295 |
| 14 |
Death |
4,843 |
14 |
Clothing |
1,180 |
| 15 |
Box |
4,645 |
15 |
Trade |
1,149 |
| 16 |
Basketry |
4,235 |
16 |
Narcotic |
1,112 |
| 17 |
Currency |
3,995 |
17 |
Animalia |
1,074 |
| 18 |
Narcotic |
3,701 |
18 |
Box |
1,014 |
| 19 |
Writing |
3,670 |
19 |
Currency |
913 |
| 20 |
Measurement |
3,325 |
20 |
Toy & Game |
810 |
Generally speaking most African common types are in similar positions to those globally, Ornament and Bead swop position with Weapon, as does figure and vessel and music and specimen. Most other types towards the bottom of the top 20 are the same types but in different positions, however Measurement is no 8 in African terms but only 20th in global, Trade appears in the Africa top 20 [ at number 15] but is only 26th in global terms. Animalia also appears slightly more commonly in the African collections than globally [17 from 21]. We shall add Measurement to the African country types research. However it is principally Ghanian [Asante gold] weights which make this such a common category
As usual tools in general and stone tools in particular form a very large part of the overall African collections, roughly a third of all African objects up to 1945 was a tool and nearly a third of all of them was in fact a stone tool. As usual it is not always possible to count what items are tools and which weapons, of the 15,602 items which could be tools 2,525 might also be weapons
Definite tools - 13,078
Definite weapons - 4,929
Tools or weapons - 2,525
Definite stone tools - 12,936
Africa as a whole:
Figures - 2,384
Measurement - 2,358
Music - 2,134
Ornaments and beads ** - 8,320
Pottery - 3,671
Religion - 4,322
Specimens - 1,933
Tools - 15,602
Vessels - 2,498
Weapons - 7,453
Algeria
Clothing - 20
Figures - 11
Measurement - 8
Music - 50
Ornaments and beads ** - 105
Pottery - 183
Religion - 70
Specimens - 137
Tools - 1,397
Vessels - 165
Weapons - 469
Proportionally there are more pottery objects from Algeria than Africa as a whole and fewer ornaments and beads
Algerian tools and weapons:
Definite weapons: 219
Tools or weapons: 250
Angola
Clothing - 63
Figures - 25
Measurement - 0
Music - 34
Ornaments and beads ** - 308
Pottery - 10
Religion - 24
Specimens - 39
Tools - 57
Vessels - 22
Weapons - 100
Ornaments and beads are a large percentage of the overall Angolan collections:
Benin Republic
Clothing - 6
Figures - 15
Measurement - 0
Music - 2
Ornaments and beads ** - ?10
Pottery - 10?
Religion - 7
Specimens - 0
Tools - 10
Vessels - 13
Weapons - 11
There are 58 objects in total from Benin Republic but of those at least 20 are in fact not sure, they are a guesstimate of how many objects might be contained in an entry: 'Beads & sherds from stream nearby [from house mound in virgin bush' which could be many more or much less [see [1939.6.11 .1 - ?]
Botswana
Clothing - 5
Figures - 8
Measurement - 0
Music - 3
Ornaments and beads ** - 22
Pottery - 0
Religion - 3
Specimens - 6
Tools - 41
Vessels - 1
Weapons - 99
Definite tools - 25
Definite weapons - 83
Tool or weapon: 16
Other objects: 53
Burkina Faso
Clothing - 0
Figures - 2
Measurement - 0
Music - 4
Ornaments and beads ** - 1
Pottery - 0
Religion - 0
Specimens - 0
Tools or weapons - 2
Vessels - 0
Burundi
Clothing - 2
Figures - 1
Measurement - 0
Music - 2
Ornaments and beads ** - 32
Pottery - 103 [NB 100 of which are just a guesstimate of number of sherds]
Religion - 1
Specimens - 4
Tools - 7
Vessels - 101 [NB this is the same 100 guesstimate sherds as above]
Weapons - 16
Because of the guesstimate relating to the number of sherds from one pot which represents over half of the total number of objects from Burundi caution needs to be taken with this country's figures
Cameroon Cameroun
Clothing - 68
Figures - 202
Measurement - 0
Music - 32
Ornaments and beads ** - 155
Pottery - 282
Religion - 8
Specimens - 4
Tools - 881
Vessels - 208
Weapons - 73
Definite tools - 877
Definite weapons - 69
Tool or weapon: 4
Other objects: 806
Cape Verde
Clothing - 0
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 1
Ornaments and beads ** - 1
Pottery - 44
Religion - 0
Specimens - 1
Tools - 0
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 0
79 Cape Verde objects are animalia, more than half of the total
Central African Republic
Figures - 1
Measurement - 0
Music - 5
Ornaments and beads ** - 7
Pottery - 1
Religion - 0
Specimens - 3
Tools or Weapons - 4
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 11
Definite weapons are just under a third of all objects from the Central African Republic by 1945, over a third including the four items which might be tools or weapons
Chad
Clothing - 8
Figures - 4
Measurement - 0
Music - 12
Ornaments and beads ** - 31
Pottery - 4
Religion - 2
Specimens - 0
Tools - 46
Vessels - 1
Weapons - 60
Comoros
Clothing - 2
Figures
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 0
Pottery - 0
Religion - 0
Specimens - 0
Tools - 0
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 0
All the Comoron objects are shoes
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Clothing - 85
Figures - 89
Measurement - 0
Music - 158
Ornaments and beads ** - 170
Pottery - 20
Religion - 39
Specimens - 62
Tools - 243
Vessels - 82
Weapons - 753
Definite tools - 64
Definite weapons - 574
Tool or weapon: 179
Other objects: 818
Congo, People's Republic of
Clothing - 7
Figures - 15
Measurement - 0
Music - 6
Ornaments and beads ** - 21
Pottery - 4
Religion - 4
Specimens - 6
Tools - 46
Vessels - 1
Weapons - 87
Many objects are not clearly either Congo DR or PR
Definite tools - 23
Definite weapons - 64
Tool or weapon: 23
Other objects: 68
Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast
Clothing - 0
Figures - 7
Measurement - 0
Music - 6
Ornaments and beads ** - 0
Pottery - 2
Religion - 0
Specimens - 0
Tools or weapons - 2
Vessels - 2
Djibouti
Clothing - 0
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 3
Pottery - 0
Religion - 0
Specimens - 1
Tools or weapons - 9
Vessels - 2
Egypt
Clothing - 31
Figures - 529
Measurement - 16
Music - 74
Ornaments and beads ** - 2,240
Pottery - 681
Religion - 2,008
Specimens - 326
Tools - 4,010
Vessels - 305
Weapons - 912
Definite tools - 3,535
Definite weapons - 437
Tool or weapon: 475
Other objects: 4,226
NB We adjusted the ornaments figure to allow for the overlap with weapons/ tools to compile this pie chart
Equatorial Guinea
Clothing - 2
Figures
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 11
Pottery - 0
Religion - 0
Specimens - 0
Tools - 0
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 5
Roughly a quarter of the Equatorial Guinea collections up to 1945 are weapons
Eritrea
Clothing - 0
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 0
Pottery - 0
Religion - 0
Specimens - 0
Tools - 0
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 5
Over half of the Eritrean objects are weapons
Ethiopia
Clothing - 14
Figures - 6
Measurement - 4
Music - 10
Ornaments and beads ** - 37
Pottery - 9
Religion - 15
Specimens - 5
Tools - 12
Vessels - 15
Weapons - 49
Approximately a quarter of all Ethiopian objects by 1945 were weapons
Gabon
Clothing - 10
Figures - 8
Measurement - 0
Music - 15
Ornaments and beads ** - 21
Pottery - 3
Religion - 17
Specimens - 12?
Tools - 43
Vessels - 3
Weapons - 267
Definite tools - 3
Definite weapons - 227
Tool or weapon: 40
Other objects: 86
The Gambia
Clothing - 10
Figures - 3
Measurement - 0
Music - 1
Ornaments and beads ** - 15
Pottery - 0
Religion - 12
Specimens - 0
Tools - 7
Vessels - 3
Weapons - 19
Gambian tools and weapons:
Definite tools - 1
Definite weapons - 13
Tool or weapon: 6
Other objects: 20
Ghana
Clothing - 32
Figures - 768
Measurement - 2,227
Music - 109
Ornaments and beads ** - 288
Pottery - 96
Religion - 360
Specimens - 158
Tools - 795
Vessels - 82
Weapons - 733
The high rating of both figures and measurement are both due to the large number of gold-weights in the Ghana collections (2129 in total or 49 per cent of the Ghana collection up to 1945). Objects classified as measurement form 51 per cent of the overall collection.
Definite tools - 238
Definite weapons - 176
Tool or weapon: 557
The large number of items which are not clearly tools or weapons is probably because of the large number of axes [527] from Ghana
Guinea
Figures - 4
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 3
Pottery - 1
Religion - 4
Specimens - 0
Tools - 8
Vessels - 1
Weapons - 6
the majority of tools and weapons could be either (they are axes)
Guinea-Bissau
Clothing - 1
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 1
Pottery - 0
Religion - 2
Specimens - 0
Tools - 2
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 9
the actual number of definite tools (7) is half of the overall Guinea-Bissau collections
Kenya
Clothing - 47
Figures - 8
Measurement - 15
Music - 62
Ornaments and beads ** - 390
Pottery - 45
Religion - 26
Specimens - 46
Tools - 181
Vessels - 63
Weapons - 274
Kenyan tools and weapons:
Definite tools - 158
Definite weapons - 251
Tool or weapon: 23
Lesotho
Clothing - 6
Figures - 2
Measurement - 0
Music - 2
Ornaments and beads ** - 13
Pottery - 1
Religion - 1
Specimens - 0
Tools - 2
Vessels - 1
Weapons - 1
More than half of the Lesotho collections are ornaments and beads
Liberia
Clothing - 1
Figures
Measurement - 0
Music - 5
Ornaments and beads ** - 0
Pottery - 1
Religion - 2
Specimens - 3
Tools - 2
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 11
Roughly a third of all Liberian objects are weapons
Libya
Clothing - 0
Figures - 2
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 7
Pottery - 18
Religion - 5
Specimens - 0
Tools - 201
Vessels - 14
Weapons - 25
Definite tools are 177 in number of which 117 are stone tools:
Madagascar
Clothing - 5
Figures - 7
Measurement - 6
Music - 18
Ornaments and beads ** - 8
Pottery - 4
Religion - 13
Specimens - 4
Tools - 9
Vessels - 18
Weapons - 8
Malawi
Clothing - 22
Figures - 15
Measurement - 2
Music - 54
Ornaments and beads ** - 144
Pottery - 21
Religion - 15
Specimens - 55
Tools - 105
Vessels - 22
Weapons - 74
Mali
Clothing - 34
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 1
Ornaments and beads ** - 17
Pottery - 1
Religion - 0
Specimens - 1
Tools - 2
Vessels - 1
Weapons - 2
Mauritania
Definite Tools - 130
Definite Weapons - 63
NB there are no other objects from Mauritania, all objects are either stone tools or stone arrow heads
Mauritius
Specimens - 2
The only other item from Mauritius is a toilet related item made from the specimen plants
Morocco
Clothing - 14
Figures - 12
Measurement - 1
Music - 48
Ornaments and beads ** - 51
Pottery - 36
Religion - 46
Specimens - 16
Tools - 81
Vessels - 25
Weapons - 83
Mozambique (Moçambique)
Clothing - 12
Figures - 8
Measurement - 0
Music - 10
Ornaments and beads ** - 44
Pottery - 11
Religion - 57
Specimens - 1
Tools - 11
Vessels - 14
Weapons - 23
Namibia
Clothing - 4
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 2
Ornaments and beads ** - 9
Pottery
Religion
Specimens - 3
Tools - 2
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 37
Niger
Clothing - 5
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 5
Ornaments and beads ** - 89
Pottery - 4
Religion - 93
Specimens - 7
Tools - 3
Vessels - 13
Weapons - 28
Amulets form 30 per cent of the Niger collections up to 1945 which accounts for the preponderance of religious and ornament and bead items
Nigeria
Clothing - 234
Figures - 380
Measurement - 9
Music - 1,035
Ornaments and beads ** - 771
Pottery - 1,142
Religion - 657
Specimens - 611
Tools - 1,236
Vessels - 733
Weapons - 1,285
Rwanda
Clothing - 7
Figures - 2
Measurement - 0
Music - 2
Ornaments and beads ** - 25
Pottery - 105
Religion - 3
Specimens - 2
Tools - 7
Vessels - 110
Weapons - 15
Both Pottery and vessels figures are high because of entries that are not specific about the number of sherds that are included and a guesstimate has been added
Senegal
Clothing - 1
Figures
Measurement - 0
Music - 1
Ornaments and beads ** - 5
Pottery - 0
Religion - 3
Specimens - 0
Tools - 2
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 11
A third of Senegalese objects are weapons
Seychelles
Clothing - 0
Figures - 0
Measurement - 0
Music - 0
Ornaments and beads ** - 0
Pottery - 0
Religion - 0
Specimens - 2
Tools - 3
Vessels - 0
Weapons - 0
Apart from the above the only remaining Seychelles object is a basket
Sierra Leone
Clothing - 14
Figures - 22
Measurement - 0
Music - 6
Ornaments and beads ** - 10?
Pottery - 0
Religion - 25
Specimens - 1
Tools - 21
Vessels - 3
Weapons - 79
Definite Weapons; 58
Tools or weapons: 21
Somalia
Clothing - 7
Figures - 6
Measurement - 0
Music - 7
Ornaments and beads ** - 30
Pottery - 8
Religion - 5
Specimens - 54
Tools - 192
Vessels - 27
Weapons - 64
Definite Weapons; 49
Tools or weapons: 15
South Africa
Clothing - 175
Figures - 69
Measurement - 61
Music - 62
Ornaments and beads ** - 857
Pottery - 88
Religion - 92
Specimens - 126
Vessels - 91
Definite Weapons; 334
Tools or weapons: 129
Sudan
Clothing - 146
Figures - 207
Measurement - 1
Music - 80
Ornaments and beads ** - 2,722
Pottery - 381
Religion - 956
Specimens - 42
Tools - 424
Vessels - 176
Weapons - 662
Definite Weapons; 575
Tools or weapons: 87
The overall percentage of tools and weapons is low, but the percentage of ornaments and beads is very high
Swaziland
Clothing - 1
Weapons - 2
The only other item from Swaziland is a headrest
Tanzania
Clothing - 40
Figures - 9
Measurement - 5
Music - 36
Ornaments and beads ** - 335
Pottery - 41
Religion - 74
Specimens - 13
Tools - 81
Vessels - 55
Weapons - 113
Togo
Clothing - 4
Figures - 5
Measurement - 0
Music - 2
Ornaments and beads ** - 11
Pottery - 2
Religion - 7
Specimens - 3
Tools - 3
Vessels - 4
Weapons - 21
The largest single type of Togo object is currency items [39 objects in total, or over a third]
Tunisia
Clothing - 1
Figures - 10
Measurement - 0
Music - 5
Ornaments and beads ** - 6
Pottery - 82
Religion - 3
Specimens - 1
Tools - 197
Vessels - 50
Weapons - 106
Definite Weapons; 104
Tools or weapons: 2
Uganda
Clothing - 55
Figures - 2
Measurement - 0
Music - 80
Ornaments and beads ** - 135
Pottery - 77
Religion - 227
Specimens - 212
Tools - 533
Vessels - 116
Weapons - 106
Definite Weapons; 82
Tools or weapons: 24
Zambia
Clothing - 11
Figures - 17
Measurement - 0
Music - 38
Ornaments and beads ** - 36
Pottery - 37
Religion - 228
Specimens - 56
Tools - 221
Vessels - 16
Weapons - 88
Definite Weapons; 67
Tools or weapons: 21
Zimbabwe
Clothing - 8
Figures - 7
Measurement - 2
Music - 37
Ornaments and beads ** - 223
Pottery - 256
Religion - 20
Specimens - 61
Tools - 491
Vessels - 49
Weapons - 104
Zimbabwe - 1,170
Definite Tools: 439
Definite Weapons; 52
Tools or weapons: 52
