"Sunday, November 27, 1904 [underlined] This morning some jewelry items from Maasai came into my possession: 7. Two-part bracelet made of horn, the ends decorated with copper & brass wire, attached a piece of genet cat fur (= 1 Rupiah) [Drawing] Abd: Stuhlmann. With Emin Pasha into the Heart of Africa, Berlin 1894 Vol. I p. 51 / Illustration see: Fischer, G. A. The Maasai Land. Sep. excerpt from the communications of the Geographical Society in Hamburg 1882-83. Hamburg 1885. Plate 6 Fig 1. / 8. Decorated leather belt, worn across the chest. Beads blue & white, the leather rubbed with red clay (= 1 Rupiah) [Drawing] [...]" [translation]

source: Museum der Kulturen Basel, VI 56197, 43 (103)
author: Karl Braun

"8. Loin belt of the Masai / e mairenai [?] / Worn across the chest, with blue and white beads, made of leather rubbed with red clay / Amani 27 Nov. 1904 = 1 Rp / Merker, M. Die Masai, 1910, p. 143-144 / TB [diary] 43,103 / [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: I have another photo with registration number namba 2018_18202_1, grand […] please tell us what is it? R2: This has been made from beads, this is Engosokwani which was being worn here I: Where was it being worn? R2: It was being out by the youth on the neck I: Engesokwa? R2: Eeeeh! Because this is of the ancient times, the current design has been sewed with some beads in all of it, it is not on a single part of it, it rounds up to the end of it, but this is of the ancient times eeeh! Engosokwani I: Was it being worn on the neck? R2: Eeeeh! I: It was for the youth of which gender? R2: The Morani youth puts on their neck during their celebrations when they go for ngoma dances I: During the ngoma it was when they put on that? R2: Eeeeh! I: To attract? R2: Eeeeh! I: Do you still use Engoswaki in the Maasai communities? R2: The ones that are used are the ones that are made from Ambira, as you can see this hard leather? It was rhinocerous leather, do you know rhynocerous, which has a horn eeeh! In the past people used to find rhinoceros leather and sew it on, but if rhinoceroses’ leather was not found then cow leather was used instead, but this is rhinoceroses’ leather, that is why it is called Engoswaki in the Maasai community. I: So, Engoswaki it is rhino name? R2: Eeeeh! R1: Then after making this is when you call it Engasokwanu, which means rhino in Maasai I: What else was it being worn together with it? R2: He puts the other one which he has then it stands with it in here I: What? R2: It is being called Emajira, it is a neck dress I: So, its main importance was to beautify someone? R2: Eeeeh! To make someone look good, it is an ornament I: You do not make these currently? R2: We are no longer making it by if someone wants it, we can make it by using ‘Ambira’ but if he wants a leathered one, I can also make it because I know how to make it I: But if someone hasn’t denied it, you can not make it? R2: No I: Its uses have dropped in the currently days R2: This belongs to the ancient people, it was only the ancient people who loved it, the currently children who have gone to school continues with their modernity now days I: Are they also being made by the females? R2: It is the females only, no object which is being made by the males, all of these are made by the females I: So, all the beaded objects are females work? R2: It is only the females R1: They put on it, but it is the females who makes them I: So, how do you differentiate things which are being worn by the males and the females? R2: The past Times elder do have it, they don’t put on it but it differs I: You said it is a rhynocerous leather and Emustani? R2: Eeeeh! This is Emustani, do you see? R1: This was being worn on the neck

source: Amani-Stade Project / Massai Field Research 2023 / Interview No.
author: I: Mohamed Seif, R2: Anonymous

I: Thank you, I have another photo with registration number 2018_18362_1, is it different from the previous one? R3: They are not very different, they only differ a little because there is a big one and a small one, the small one was for the young people and the big one was for the adults, but they are all the same Ndalama. I: That is a bit long as you can see it, it is a bit long. R3: It is really different, as you can see this Ndalama, this was used to put on the arm. I: Was it being put on the arm? R3: Eeeeh! Not in here, it is on the upper hand, it is called Arkataa. I: So, this is Arkataa? R3: Eeeeh! I: But it is still the same Ndalama? R3: Eeeeh! I: This is for the upper hand? R3: This is for the arm, but it differs from Arkataa and Ndalama. I: So, Arkataa means the upper hand? R3: Eeeeh! Because the one that is worn here has its name and the one that is worn here has its name to eeeh! So, they have different names. I: The upper hand of Arkataa was worn by which gender, was it the female's or the male's number one? R1: It was being worn by both the males and the females. I: What used to distinguish the male and female Arkataa in the Maasai community? R1: They were different because the females used to have a connector that connected here eeeh! But the male’s Arkataa didn’t connect like that, that was the difference between the males and the females. I: The males didn’t have it? R1: No. I: What was the gender of the people who made these in the Maasai community? R1: It was the females, this is a female work. I: So, all the beaded works are for the females? R1: Eeeeh!

source: Amani-Stade Project / Massai Field Research 2023 / Interview No. 07
author: I: Mohamed Seif, R1-3: Anonymous