Room 25
Africa
Key information
Free wifi available – use a smartphone or tablet
Suitable for all ages
Room 25
Africa (The Sainsbury Galleries)
Find out more about the diverse societies of Africa, past and present, using these fun family missions.
The objects you'll see are from across the continent and reveal the cultural life of Africa. You'll encounter objects from different historical periods, from hats and sculptures made this century, to art works that are hundreds of years old.
Investigate extraordinary artistic traditions and more as you roam around the gallery looking for objects and use your phone or tablet for the pose and perform missions.
Museum Missions is presented in Room 25: Africa, the Sainsbury Galleries.
Perform
Find this brightly coloured kofia hat.
These were made on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, on the east coast of Africa. Look at the photograph inside the case which shows a trader selling kofia hats at a market stall. Count how many kofia hats are displayed in this case and then count how many other types of hats from across Africa that you can see.
Imagine you have a market stall of your own, select one of the hats and take a video of you encouraging someone in your family to buy it from you. What do you know about the person you are selling it to? What features of the hat might help you sell it to them? Can you describe how it might make its new owner feel to wear it?
Discuss
Discuss
African textiles and clothing are often used to display power and wealth. They may also carry important political statements.
This dress was made to remember Albertina Sisulu (1918–2011), an important activist who made a stand against racial injustice and the system of racial segregation known as apartheid in South Africa. Her face is printed on the fabric. It was designed by Noxolo Dyobiso who grew up in a township and experienced apartheid. This dress is made of indigo-dyed cloth called shweshwe (pronounced shway-shway), also known as 'German print', because it was German settlers in South Africa who imported European indigo-dyed cloth.
Discuss some of your favourite pieces of clothing with your family. It might be a gift you got from someone special, a top of a sports team you support or maybe even a uniform. What do you think those clothes say about you?
Look
At the other end of the Africa gallery, look for this magnificent tree sculpture from Mozambique.
At first glance there doesn't appear to be anything unusual about this sculpture, but look closer and you'll see that it's actually made from a specific type of metal object.
The flag of Mozambique is the only national flag to feature a modern weapon. After independence from Portugal in 1975, the flag of the revolutionary army, featuring weapons, was taken as the national flag – this is how weapons came to be on the national flag today. Every part of this sculpture, including the animals surrounding the tree, is made from decommissioned weapons.
This tree sculpture, called 'The Tree of Life', was created to represent peace for the country.
Search high and low for the animals dotted around the tree. Can you spot the following?
- A bird
- A tortoise
- A small flying insect
- A large insect
- A monkey
Pose
Figure made of wood
Pot with two adults and a child
Doll's house
Head-rest with two seated humans
