"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.

source: Museum der Kulturen Basel, VI 56197, 53 (45)
author: Karl Braun

"124. Red cap of the Boy's / Kofia nyekundu [?], Kofia Stambuli [?] / Amani 10 April 1909 = 50 Heller (for Europeans!) 25 " (for natives!) / TB [diary] 53.45. / [drawing]" [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: Let me change the picture for you, I have a picture registered 2018_18369_001, look at it what is this? R: This is a hat, this hat used to be called ‘kitunga’ I: What is the meaning and why was it called ‘kitunga?’ R: It was just a name because of of the decoration on top here, that's why it was called ‘kitunga’. I: Which places were more available in our country of Tanzania? R: It was the dress of the Islamic coastal people. I: Can you tell us the regions? R: It was all over the coastal region, in Kigoma they were there, and at that time when a person was seen wearing this hat uh! If he enters to a place, people must stand. I: Why? R: Each age has its own things; it was their respectful dressing. I: So, if a person wore that, he was a respected person, but it was not anyone could wear that hat? R: No, do you know in the past the value of money was low and there were some things... and probably at that time you could find the price is five cents, but a person wanted to buy something from the 5 cents must negotiate, others used to wear it due to their economy stability. I: So, the ‘kitunga’ was sold at a higher cost in that period? R: Yes. I: When was it worn? R: Yes, I told you they were coastal people dress, especially the Islamic. I: Was it on special occasions or at any time a person can wear it? R: It was any time, but nowadays you cannot wear kitunga with a simple trouser, this was worn with a ‘kanzu’ or a ‘coat’. I: What kind of a coat? R: Just a normal coat, with its pleasure sometimes you put it on the shoulder side. I: So, a person who wore ‘kitunga’ must wear a kanzu and a coat for a good appearance? R: It was just for a good appearance. I: Did it also had conditions of what type of shoes was to put on, this is because there are some shoes you cannot put on with a kanzu? R: The period of using things like this, ths shoes were open big shoes known as a ‘makubadhi’. I: Currently does kitunga still in use? R: Oh! we see them but very rarely, and there are some young men when they find them from their late grandfathers', they wear them like fashion, but they are not worn as special clothes, its era has gone. I: That cannot be reversed. R: It is not easy. I: Why is it not easy? R: You know where we are going now... but there was a day I said, it reaches a time the government must look on those things, for example, if you turn on your TV right now, you are told, oh, I don't know there is no water, but who is to protect the water, I thought when Mama Samia when she came into power she will forbid the girls who like walking half naked, because she is a woman, she was suppose to have the pain and forbid them, now how does the president make them and in which way, sometimes the vice president visit and finds the school children covered with banana leaves and half naked, now what ideal do you want, the government should first sit down to see if this system of moral can be turned back, the government should stand on this, can say even in the religious institutes, they also contribute in destroying the morals, at my age I had seen this sometimes back, you could see a Christian lady going to the church putting on funny clothings going to the holy place, the girls are going to the mass half naked and the pastor stands infront looking at them with greedy, why don't you condemn such things like this, hence the era of the moral ages had gone. I: Does ‘kitunga’ still made up to this moment? R: The users do not exist, and how to make it... I: Has it reduced, or it is not there? R: I think it is not there. I: So, for instance if today I need to get ‘kitunga; ... R: You can get it in Bangladesh, at least it is still in use there. I: So, in should he order for Tanzania, or he sends someone bring it? R: Yes, or a person comes with it. I: In Tanzania at that time, which people were making ‘vitunga?’ R: They were imported. I: From which country? R: In Bangladesh, that was where they used it mostly, it was a business issue. I: Although it was imported in the country, can tell us what materials were used to make ‘kitunga?’ R: Kitunga was made by sorted cotton, but in the fabric, sorting was not real cotton, but it was processed in fabric process, it was something like that. I: You said in that period kitunga was a valuable dressing to whoever wore it, if you compare it with that period and bring it to the current life, how much can it be sold? R: About 5 or 10 thousand shillings, something like that.

source: Amani-Stade Project / Amani Field Research 2023 / Interview No. 02
author: I: Mohamed Seif, R: Anonymous