A SMALL TEMPORARY EXHIBITION ON THE EAST AFRICAN CULTURES AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM OMAR A. ABDALLA Jumba La Mtwana Museum KENYA CHAIR OF POWER (KITI CHA ENZI) THEME FOR THE EXHIBITION: LET US VALUE OUR CULTURES It is made of: Ebony Ivory,bone, cotton in the 19th Century in Mombasa, Kenya The chair of power was made only in Mombasa and on the Islands of Patte,Lamu and Zanzibar Most wealthy people possess these chairs and were reserved for the use of visiting guests, dignitaries and the most important visitors The embroidered kofia is worn by adults Muslim men of the Swahili people living along the indian ocean coast of Eastern Africa The kofia is traditionally embroidered by men by men using the eyelit infilling technique Different patterns and their complexity indicate the status of the wearer The kofia is made in two parts: The kahafi covering the top of the head and the Mshadhari, encircling the lower head They are embroidered separately before being sewn together Design The ready made kofia should be displayed as well with the kahafi and mshadhari so that the audience can have a look at the material before it is embroidered and sewn into a kofia Other used materials like threads and needles should also be displayed Photographs of the cultural objects should be displayed eg. a man sitting on a chair of power and adult Muslim men wearing kofia Display Ideas •Videos should be used to appeal the different audiences showing the rich cultural heritage. •There is need to publish books , making and selling products to promote the exhibition and generate more income to the instituition THANK YOU.