26 wife-catchers on a string. These are miniature manioc or cassava squeezers, which are used in a game known as 'wife-catcher'. The game involves one player holding one end of the 'wife-catcher' whilst the other player of the opposite sex inserts his or her finger in the other open end of the object. If the other player pulls the 'wife-catcher' and realises that the other participant's finger is still 'entrapped' within the hole at the other end, then it means he has found himself a 'wife' or she has found herself a 'husband'. I do not know if this is a traditional Amerindian game or an Amerindian version of other modern games. Purchased in Georgetown and made in Kabakaburi Mission.
A long woven tube with a loop at one end, woven from yellow and dark brown plant fibres in a pattern of diagonal stripes. The weaving is quite loosely done so that the tube is flexible. At one end the tube is open (so you can out your finger in); at the other, it is slightly tapered and attached to a ring or loop of fibre. A string has been threaded through all the loops to tie the wife-catchers together.
toy; cassava squeezers
Collection Information
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk