"Saturday, April 10, 1909 In the morning, continued working on a large herbarium shipment for Berlin. In the afternoon, paperwork. – I am trying to collect as much as possible of what the Waswahili [sic] buy in the Indian shops as their necessities. For this purpose, I first had the ""boys"" make lists and came across various items I had never known before. Today, the following came into my possession: A small light-red Turkish cap made from a single piece of red felt, called in Kiswahili kofia stambuli, with a small [p. 46] knob on top, which is supposedly called shuju in Kibonei [?]. Such a cap costs 50 Heller here in Amani, and in Tanga one can buy it for 25 Heller. I also bought a simple, entirely white cap. It is often stitched with white threads and is called kofia ya eherhani [?] [probably R 2018 / 18373], meaning a machine-made cap. It also costs half a rupee here, and around 30 Heller in Tanga. / The exact same cap, with the same name, but with additional black patterns sewn on as borders, costs 75 Heller here and 50 Heller in Tanga. The patterns are typically found among the N* [1] and consist of overlapping lines, carelessly machine-stitched [Three detailed drawings of seam lines]. If a cap has a zigzag edge, it is called kofia ya someno [?]; a stitched [?] cap is never smooth — kofia ya futo. The fine and expensive caps are called kofia buibui (Diary 52, p. 39), and several rupees are paid for them. I also bought various clothing items: [p. 47] [Colored illustration] A kitambi, a very colorful woven cloth, probably made in England or possibly India. The colorful lines are woven from threads of various patterns. The main color is violet. In the narrow stripes — orange-yellow, white, lemon yellow, white, red, and white — the attached pattern is woven in, each line consisting of two threads. [Small colored detail drawing] The above pattern is half the width of the cloth and repeats exactly on the other half [?]. The total width is 106 cm, length 212 cm. The price here in Amani is 1 rupee. The cloth is worn by men as a loincloth. Another kitambi is 16 cm wide and 168 cm long, with a wide red border; the middle consists of sections framed by yellow thread lines [?], which themselves are made of red and black thread. Between the red border and the center /[p. 48] [colored illustration with labels] there runs a white longitudinal stripe. This cloth is also worn by men as a loincloth and costs 1 Rupee 25. A shuka or simple loincloth with a very basic line design in black and red. It is 172 cm long and 89 cm wide, and the price here in Amani is 60 Heller. [Small colored drawing] An even simpler shuka costs about 50 Heller and is a cloth 98 cm wide and 186 cm long. The edging [correction] consists of red, green, and violet lines. Price is 50 Heller. [Small colored drawing] I also received various incense materials: [...] [p. 50] [colored illustration] A wide [...] [?] kikoi purchased (Diary 52, p. 59) has a colorful edge beside it. These cloths are considered the most distinguished. Width 95 cm, length 168 cm, not including the fringe, which is about 10 cm long." [translation] [1] The N-word (N*) is a highly racist term used to refer to Black people. The term originated in the context of "racial" theories and is closely linked to the history of slavery and colonialism. In the transcription of original sources, it has not been reproduced but instead marked as a racist, derogatory, and offensive term.

50 Heller (für Europäer), 25 Heller (für lokale Bevölkerung)

source: Museum der Kulturen Basel, VI 56197, 53 (46)
author: Karl Braun

"125. Boy's white cap / Kofia nyeupa [?], Kofia ya cherhani [?] / sewing machine work / Amani, Indian shop 10 April 1909 = 30 Heller. / T.B. 53,46. / pattern ibid / Kofia ya someno [?] = cap with jagged edge ([...] [?] cap)" [translation]

source: Museen Stade, r 2018 / 18566
author: Karl Braun

In 1934, the former director of the Biological Imperial Institute for Agriculture and Forestry (Biologische Reichsanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft) Karl Braun (1870–1935) gave the so-called “Kolonialsammlung Braun” (Colonial Collection Braun) to the Hanseatic City of Stade, or rather its representative, the then mayor Hans Arthur Meyer (1884–1961). See the file „Transfer of a colonial collection from the senior government councillor Professor Dr. Karl Braun in Stade to the City of Stade” („Überlassung einer Kolonialsammlung vom Oberregierungsrat Professor Dr. Karl Braun in Stade an die Stadt Stade") at the Lower Saxony State Archives Stade (Niedersächsischen Landesarchiv Standort Stade).

source: Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv Standort Stade, Dep. 10 Nr. 03025

In 1997, the then city archivist Jürgen Bohmbach concludes a permanent loan agreement with the Museum Society Stade (Museumsverein Stade e.V.), for which the then director Gerd Mettjes signs. Thereafter, the collection from Karl Braun is transferred to the care of the Museum Society Stade (Museumsverein Stade e.V.).

source: Museen Stade, Vereinbarung Leihgabe "Brauns'sche Kolonialsammlung"

I: Ahaah! Okay we are moving on and I do have another tool photo with registration number 2018_18385_1, look and tell us what is it? R: Like cap I: Cap? R: Eeeeh! I: This cape how is called maybe? R: This is an Islamic cap I: How is being called if it is an Islamic cap? R: Baraghashia I: Eeeeh! You said it is Baraaghashia, can tell us the baraghashia was being used by people of which tradition? R: The town peoples I: The town people can you mention their communities R: This Baraghashia has been used by the Digo and town people in general I: The digo and the town people, so it was the muslims only used to put on it? R: Even the Christian nowday put on it, no one leaves it, people are competing nowdays I: So, it does not have specific people anyone can put on it? R: Yes I: Where does it available easily if someone wants to get it? R: Even in Muheza they are available I: In muheza, okay, who have been making Baraghashia? R: There are some people who are technicians can make it I: Maybe at which part of the country, can you differentiate between the coast and the mainland? R: The coastal people I: So, it the coastal people who are commonly making them, that mean in all the coast they make it? R: Eeeeh! You will get it I: Okay, how is it being used? R: They put on it I: They put on it? R: Eeeh! They put it on the head I: When is it being used? R: It depends on the preference of someone but in most of the times people like putting on it when they go to the mosque I: When they go to the mosque? R: Eeeeh! I: Mmh! the people of which gender and age likes to put on it? R: The people of an age of sixty are the ones who likes to put on Baraghashia eeh! I: Is it the males of the females? R: The males I: Why the males? R: It is the procedure I: Who set that order? R: It was us I: That the only the males should put on Baraghashia? R: If you find a female is on baraghashia you should ask her I: Ask her? R: Eeeeh! I: Hahahahah! R: But they dont put on Baraghashia easily I: Okay, for the one who put on baraghashia is there any other dress which is being put on together with it? R: In most of the times it looks goods if a man put on Kanzu and baraghashia I: Okay, what is the importance of using Baraghashia? R: It is just a dress I: A dress of covering what? R: Haaah! you I: Hahahahah R: So, why are you on trouser? I: It covers the buttocks, what does the Baraghashia covers? R: Baraghashia is dress using when you want to enter in the mosque, it doesn’t cover anything because there is nothing strange on the head I: But it has an importance? R: It is important I: What is it? R: If you have intended to go to the mosque, you can put on the Baraghashia na enter in the mosque for some prayers, alahu Akbar, you pull it up to here and close the prayer I: Until we are talking right now is there anyone who is making Baraghashia? R: Eeeh! I: How many? R: I have never used that eeeh! I: Are there people in Amani who are making Baraghashia? R. No, nothing I: Nothing here in Amani R: The elder who I knew them are Mzee Semkiwa I: It was Hasani Semkiwa who has been making them? R: He was making I: Who lived here in Amani R: Yes I: Is he still making them or not? R: He is dead I: Oh! He is dead? R: Eeeh! I: Apart from Hasani Semkiwa was there anyone who used to make Baraghashia in Amani? R: No I: It was only him? R: Eeeeh! I: Can tell us Baraghashia is being made of what materials? R: Aaaah! It is the trings which is being used in tailoring the shoes eeeh! I: Mmh! R: That’s makes cap I: The materials which have been used in making Baraghashia have been changing depending on time or it has been the same? R: The materials have been changing as you can find some of the are using the normal strings, which are used in tailoring machines I: Of the tailoring machines? R: Yes I: Aahha! So, some of the uses the normal tailoring strings while the other are not using, why so? R: You know people wants to simplify things I: So, which one is simple in making baraghashia? R: The normal toiloring strings I: The Baraghashi which is being made of the normal string how much can it be sold in the current days? R: Maybe I have not put on this I: But you can estimate how much would it be sold? R: Maybe ten thousand I: Okay, ten thousand, so it is being available in town? R: Eeeeh! I: Okay, in here it was Mr. Semkiwa who was making them? R: Eeeeh!

source: Amani-Stade Project / Amani Field Research 2023, Interview No. 01
author: I: Mohamed Seif, R: Anonymous