Magic Broom

This item is recorded by the Sierra Leone National Museum as a magic broom , or mawanija , the records note that it was used to smell out all guilty persons who denied having committed a crime . It is made from palm fonds, wrapped in red-dyed cotton, onto which cowrie shells are sewn.

Further Information

• Type: Domestic equipment, Religious/ritual equipment, charms
• Object: Magic Broom
• Materials: Vegetable, organic fibre, Textile, Shell
• Culture Group: Other
• Dimensions: Unknown
• Production Date: Pre 1970
• Associated Places: Unknown
• Associated People: Mr. Sesay, Freetown (Trader)
• Museum: Sierra Leone National Museum
• Accession Number: SLNM.1970.02.01.02

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