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"

"Sunday, December 24, 1905. [underlined, p. 60] [p. 61] [...] In the evening came the [...] [?] which have ethnographic value. Almost all were procured for me by Max. Snuff box made of horn & wood, bought here from a Swahili (1 Rupia). Similar illustration in Baumann. Usambara. 1891. p. 231. / Kiswahili: tabakero is made by Wanjamwezi [drawing with material details] Wood Horn Wood / Combs, 3 pieces similar to those I illustrated in diary TB. 44, p. 68. One comb like the attached illustration & one was recently carved for me by a Njamwezi named [?], it had the following shape [drawing] / Kiswahili: schamo / and was unfinished made from [p. 62] white soft wood, while the others come from one and the same Fundi (craftsman), who specializes in them. These are yellow and smooth. [drawing] / Small and larger carved round spoons with burnt-in designs, shallowly hollowed, the figures vary. [drawings of seven spoons a-g, partly detailed drawings with labels] Kiswahili: kijiko / mwiko / wu bu [?] / a deep spoon: [drawing h] [drawing of a flute with material details] Wooden flute Tin Gourd Pumpkin Wood Kiswahili: nzumari [corrected to zumari] [p. 63] Device for hollowing coconuts. The halved nut is rasped out with a saw-toothed iron [correction], while the man who operates it sits on the apparatus itself. The wooden parts are carved from one piece & foldable. [Two drawings, one showing a detail] Kiswahili: mbuzi (actually = goat) / A bush knife called "munde" in Kiswahili. Most come from Germany, but these have a much slimmer shape. [drawing] Max received two Chinese pictures embroidered on darkest silk to hang on the wall [p. 64]. I had actually [?] bought them, like the other fabric goods, from an Indian in Tanga. Then a transparent thin fiber fabric, perhaps pineapple fiber, with very colorful butterflies embroidered from thick silk threads. A table runner made of silk, Indian work. –" [translation]

source: Museum der Kulturen Basel, VI 56197, 46 (62)
author: Karl Braun

"43. Wooden spoon, Kijiko / Amani 24 Dec. 1905 / TB [diary] 46.62 / [drawing]" [translation]

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

I: Okay, I do have another photo with registration number 2018_18311_001, look and tell us what is it? R: These are wood spoons I: Wood spoons? R: Eeeeh! I: Can you tell us the people of which tradition who makes these kinds of spoons? R: These kinds of spoons have been made by people of Pare tradition, and the Chaga were the ones who used to make these I: The Pare and Chaga? R: Eeeeh! I: In Pare language how do you call these spoons? R: Miko I: Miko? R: Eeeeh! I: And in Chaga? R: I can not know in Chaga I: In Pare its miko? R: Eeeh! When it is one is Muko and when they are many, it is Miko I: Aaah! Can you tell us in which places do these objects were being found? R: In Kilimanjaro region I: Can you tell us how did the Miko been used? R: They were being used in eating some food I: Was there a special meal which required the use of Miko, or any kind of food was being eaten by Miko? R: Let’s say all kind sof food like a mixture of beans and maize (makande), and rice eeeh! I: Mapure? R: Eeeeh! Mapure, objects like these were being used I: Which gender used these kinds of objects? R: All gender I: Of which age? R: Of any age because it was family objects, at that time the modern spoons were being called the westerners spoons, hence at that time it was these kinds of objects which were commonly been used with all gender, from the children to the older, they used these objects without any problem in the family I: Do the Miko still in use in Pare communities? R: Currently, I think it is few of them who uses these objects, because they are civilized, they use the westerner’s spoons I: So, you want to say that having been using the Westerner’s spoons mean your civilized hahhah! R: Hahahah! I: Or we just left our traditions? R: We just left our traditions, though we have not left it totally, do you see these kinds of spoons, I do have here in my house I: You do have them? R: Eeeeh! I: We would like to see them hahahah! Do you think it will reach a time when these kinds of objects will no longer be needed or used by the Pare people? R: Eeeeh! It is possible because the current people might have left them though people of the past times liked these objects I: What was the importance of these kinds of objects in Pare tradition? R: The Pare? I: Yes R: It was so important because when someone saw it was very fascinated with it, even you look on its design, you would be able to recognize its use, hence they have been attracted to buy them eeeh! I: Are they still being made or because of the modernity we just left it? R: Because of the modernity it is only few people who makes these objects, particulary those from the age of 70 and above, are the ones who can be attracted with these objects, but our current youth can not consider these, because they have been born when the modern spoons are already in place I: Those who made these objects were the males or the females. R: The males I: Okay, can you tell us the kind of materials which was used in making the Miko? R: The materials they used it was knife, swords and there was a kind of knife which was used in shaping this round eeeh! I: And the Miko was made by? R: They used some trees I: Which kind of trees were commonly used? R: There were trees which was not poisoners for human being eeeh! Hene the kind of trees which were being used were those which was not harmfull to human I: Can you be able to mention their names? R: I only do remember one tree which was being called Mriringwi I: How was it being called? R: Mriringwi, but in Pare term I: Okay, regarding with the design if that object is being brought in the current markert, how much would it be sold? R: I will fast run in to it and be ready to pay even five thousand, because if the one which I do have in my house, I bought each one of it for two thousand, but for now it can even be five thousand I: Where did you buy them? R: I bought them in our village I: Can you tell us the places where you bought them? Which markert? R: I bought them in Same, in the hill places, there is one place called Vudee, there it was where I bought them I: Vudee? R: Eeeeh! I: So, if I decide to go to Vudee, I will not miss Miko? R: You will get them I: You pass Same to Vudee? R: Yes, you pass Same and take the way to mwembe I: I have already been in Mwembe R: You have been in Mwembe? I: Eeeeh! There now you climb the hill on the way to Shengena R: Very good, there it is where Miko are found easily, in our village there still one old man who makes these eeeeh!

source: Amani-Stade Project / Amani Field Research 2023 / Interview. No. 07
author: I: Mohamed Seif (NIMR), R: Anonymous