Manioc strainer and press. Long, thin, basketry tube. Loop handles at both ends. Tied at ends with jute string and cotton string.

Large carrying basket. Four horizontal bands outlined in black; three of them have black dots in the interior (from top to bottom: 8, 16 and 9 dots). Three twisted handles near rim (three are missing) and two near the base.

Necklace of cowrie shells with a gourd pendant. A double line of cowrie shells makes up the majority of the chain, strung on plastic fishing line. At the bottom are three pairs of shells interspersed with three strands of plastic beads in black red and white. A small brown gourd hangs below this, covered in a loosely woven covering of raffia, with a raffia tassel hanging below. The gourd is embellished with three evenly spaced decorations of a cowrie shell surrounded by a circle of beads.

Staff made of thick, stiff strands of dried grass, wrapped with raffia in an open weave to make up the handle. From the bottom protrudes a tuft of raffia, wrapped with a band of woven white fabric and grey plastic twine. Two circular patches of raffia are attached close to the base, topped with cowrie shells arranged in a flower motif. The top of the staff is covered in unbleached cotton, edged with two kinds of braided synthetic banding. Attached to the cotton are three small gourd rattles, also wrapped in open raffia weaving, each with a single cowrie shell and plastic bead decoration. Three lines of cowrie shells are glued to the cotton between the gourds.

Costume skirt made of long, plain strips of raffia hanging from a thin cotton waistband.

Filá headdress. Gourd headpiece, with hanging raffia cover. The half gourd is decorated with lace around its rim and across to the top centre where it wraps around a protruding lip. On the body between the strips of lace are woven circles of raffia beneath flower shaped arrangements of cowrie shells and plastic beads. Out the top protrusion emerges a stiff tuft of raffia held together by a wrap of grey plastic twine. From the lower rim of the gourd hang thick, metre long strands of raffia, entirely encircling the headdress so that the fringe hangs down evenly over the wearer’s front and back.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Wooden mask with very long raffia hair. Mask has a narrow pointed chin with an open mouth, small nose, and closed eyes with narrow slits for viewing holes. The brows are pronounced, a double line, rounded, meeting above the nose. Brows and eyelids are emphasized with small, evenly placed pieces of a bronze coloured metal. At the temples are carved small rectangular protrusions and the forehead is covered with rounded lines of protruding dots, holding small metal nails as decoration. Above the forehead are three prow shaped protrusions, decorated at their top ridges with metal, and carved lines down the sides. The crown of the head from the temples is decorated with embedded cowrie shells. Holes pierce the wood below the cheeks, and a wide ring of wood surrounds the mask on sides and bottom. Attached to this are mounds of raffia palm strips that serve as hair.

Small dark brown round pot. Piece of light brown cotton folded over the top and secured by brown cord or rope wrapped loosely around the rim of the pot.

Multiple pages of Buddhist scripture written in Tham script. Scripture is etched into long rectangular palm leaves which are tied between two wooden covers with carved diamond and X designs. Book is joined together by a long string of twine that threads through two holes in the wood and through the palm leaves.