Nigerian Grass Mat

This is one of a pair of woven grass mats came from Bonny, in Southern Nigerian. Though they were made in Nigeria, They are included as they were originally collected by a member of Sierra Leone's Krio community, Mrs. Sarah Crowther, wife of Archdeacon D. C. Crowther, son of Bishop Crowther, the first Anglican Bishop in Nigeria. From the mid-nineteenth century, Krio traders, missionaries and professionals settled along the coast of West Africa and in settlements on the Niger River. This Krio diaspora maintained close links with Sierra Leone through steam shipping lines, and objects from throughout the region found their way to Freetown where they were sometimes acquired by European collectors. Mrs. Sarah Crowther accompanied her husband in leading the Niger Delta Pastorate Mission at Bonny.

Further Information

  • Type: Domestic equipment
  • Object: Nigerian Grass Mat
  • Materials: Vegetable, organic fibre
  • Culture Group: Other, Krio
  • Dimensions: 1070 mm
  • Production Date: Pre 1908
  • Associated Places: South Eastern Nigeria: Bonny (Collected and created)
  • Associated People: Mrs. Crowther (Collector); A. Ridyard (Donor)
  • Museum: World Museum Liverpool Sierra Leone Collection
  • Accession Number: LIVCM.23.4.08.9