Chinese Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum 中國鼻煙壺討論論壇

Public Forum Categories and Boards => All Other Snuff Bottles and Containers => Topic started by: George on June 03, 2017, 01:04:03 am



Title: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: George on June 03, 2017, 01:04:03 am
This is called a Ndiani snuff bottle. It is from East Africa, Tanzania of the Gogo and Maasai tribes.

Original tribe used is Gogo from Dodoma central region in Tanzania (https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/12/wagogo-gogo-people-tanzanian-dancing.html). The Gogo (or mgogo singular and Wagogo plural ) are ever-happy, dance-loving and agriculturalist  Bantu ethnolinguistic group living in the Dodoma Region of central Tanzania.

There was a bit of a language barrier between myself and the person who helped me identify this. But I understand it takes three generations to acquire a Ndian and is extremely difficult to get a Ndiani now days in the Gogo tribe.

This Ndiani is a hair over 3" tall..

Enjoy !


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: AntPeople on June 03, 2017, 01:33:55 am
Very special and beautiful  bottle George!

What material is that?.... looks like a turtle shell in some area.

What's the meaning of Ndain and why does it required 3 generations to get one?

Pin


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: George on June 03, 2017, 01:48:21 am
Very special and beautiful  bottle George!

What material is that?.... looks like a turtle shell in some area.

What's the meaning if Ndain and why does it required 3 generations to get one?

Pin

I forgot to tell that it is made of beeswax.  There is a bit of a language barrier between myself and the person who helped me identify this.. All I can tell is that Ndiani is what they call the bottle. I think it simply means, "bottle of tobacco powder".   It has taken almost a week to get this far...  My next question is same as yours.. Why does it take three generation.. Will let you know ...  :)


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Rube on June 03, 2017, 06:07:32 am
George,

What a fascinating bottle!

Cheers,


Rheuben.


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司 on June 03, 2017, 06:30:18 am
Dear George,

   I feel like I fell into a timewarp, and came out in 1960 in a National Geographic special: "The Gogo ... are [an] ever-happy, dance-loving and agriculturalist  Bantu ethnolinguistic group living in the Dodoma Region of central Tanzania. "   ;D ;) ::)
   By the way, Tanzania is in East Africa, on the Indian Ocean coast of Africa in fact.
But I agree with the others - it looks interesting, and I want to hear more.

Good luck in ferreting out info. You are good at that.
Best,
Shabbat Shalom,
Joey

This is called a Ndiani snuff bottle. It is from West Africa, Tanzania of the Gogo and Maasai tribes.

Original tribe used is Gogo from Dodoma central region in Tanzania (https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/12/wagogo-gogo-people-tanzanian-dancing.html). The Gogo (or mgogo singular and Wagogo plural ) are ever-happy, dance-loving and agriculturalist  Bantu ethnolinguistic group living in the Dodoma Region of central Tanzania.

There was a bit of a language barrier between myself and the person who helped me identify this. But I understand it takes three generations to acquire a Ndian and is extremely difficult to get a Ndiani now days in the Gogo tribe.

This Ndiani is a hair over 3" tall..

Enjoy !


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: George on June 03, 2017, 07:38:04 am

   By the way, Tanzania is in East Africa, on the Indian Ocean coast of Africa in fact.

Your right Joey !  Thank you..  ;)


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: cshapiro on June 03, 2017, 10:44:28 am
George I always look forward to your bottles - I always learn something!
Congratulations!


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: George on June 03, 2017, 01:22:48 pm
Very special and beautiful  bottle George!

What material is that?.... looks like a turtle shell in some area.

What's the meaning of Ndain and why does it required 3 generations to get one?

Pin

Ok, so the word Ndiani does indeed simply mean "bottle of tobacco powder", and it is three generations old. I misunderstood his meaning the first time about taking three generations to acquire one.


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: George on June 03, 2017, 01:24:07 pm

Ok, so the word Ndiani does indeed simply mean "bottle of tobacco powder", and it is three generations old. I misunderstood his meaning the first time about taking three generations to acquire one.  So about a hundred years old..


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Wattana on June 03, 2017, 11:55:38 pm
Thanks for posting this one George.
This is an entirely new sphere of learning for me! I had no idea there was ever a 'powdered tobacco' culture in Tanzania.
The bottle's shape looks uncannily like the Chinese variety. The concept introduced by Chinese railroad workers in the late 1890s perhaps...?

Tom
PS: Joey, you are right - it DOES sound like a 1960s National Geographic story...!


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: George on June 04, 2017, 12:21:09 am
Thanks for posting this one George.
This is an entirely new sphere of learning for me! I had no idea there was ever a 'powdered tobacco' culture in Tanzania.
The bottle's shape looks uncannily like the Chinese variety. The concept introduced by Chinese railroad workers in the late 1890s perhaps...?

Tom
PS: Joey, you are right - it DOES sound like a 1960s National Geographic story...!

Yes, actually there are quite a few very interesting snuff related bottles, and seems like they are all for the most part from the Tanzania region..



Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司 on June 04, 2017, 07:59:52 am
Dear Tom,

    I thought the Chinese railroad workers were in the  period 1964 - 1975...
I read that the Germans in Tanganyika built rail lines in the period 1891 - 1914, but who did the work?
It seems a lot more plausible that Chinese merchants might have brought snuff, if such came to East Africa in that period.

   Re.National Geographic Specials of Africa and other 'primitive' areas; so funny.
Best,
Joey


Thanks for posting this one George.
This is an entirely new sphere of learning for me! I had no idea there was ever a 'powdered tobacco' culture in Tanzania.
The bottle's shape looks uncannily like the Chinese variety. The concept introduced by Chinese railroad workers in the late 1890s perhaps...?

Tom
PS: Joey, you are right - it DOES sound like a 1960s National Geographic story...!


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: ileney on June 04, 2017, 10:20:02 am
Thank you for posting this. I had seen one of these and wondered where it came from and why it looked so different from other snuff bottles.


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司 on June 04, 2017, 05:13:26 pm
Dear Ilene,

   Your comment reminded me of this joke:

Her Majesty the Queen, is knighting a Jew, Jake Cohen, for his contribution to British Textiles.
Jake is told to learn a phrase in Latin to say to the Queen, before she knights him with a touch
of a sword on each shoulder.
Jake learns it, but in his anxiety over the ceremony, forgets the words.
He decides to say the only other foreign phrase he remembers, instead.
It is in Hebrew, from the Passover Seder.
Jake says, "Ma Nishtana Ha-Leylah Ha-Zeh Mi-Kol Ha-Leylot".
After he has been knighted, and gone away, the Queen turns to Prince Philip and says, "Why is this Knight different from all the other Knights?"   ::) ;D ;)

Best,
Joey

Best,
Joey


Thank you for posting this. I had seen one of these and wondered where it came from and why it looked so different from other snuff bottles.


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: ileney on June 12, 2017, 05:06:59 pm
LOL


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司 on June 12, 2017, 06:00:00 pm
Whoops, Guys,

    I forgot to add the translation of  "Ma Nishtana Ha-Leylah Ha-Zeh Mi-Kol Ha-Leylot?", into
English. Sorry. :-[  ;D

   It is "Why is this night different from all the other nights?".

Best,
Joey


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Wattana on June 13, 2017, 01:20:49 am
Thanks Joey,

OK, so NOW I get it.......!  ;D  ;D

Best,
Tom


Title: Re: Ndiani Snuff Bottle
Post by: Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司 on June 13, 2017, 08:52:22 am
Dear Tom,

   Ilene is an MOT, so I figured she'd get it, and didn't stop to think about the fact that non-Hebrew speakers would not. Sorry. Mea Culpa. ;)
Best to all,
Joey