Zanzibar’s Matchless Design

 

Photo courtesy: Hairt (Talk I contribs) — Wikimedia Commons

You could hear the craftsmen hammering, tap, tap as the next stud made up the pattern emboldened into the wooden box, a Zanzibar chest. The design may have been from Zanzibar, but the containers were also made and sold in Dar es Salaam.

I kept mine in a prized position where I could admire its unique design from anywhere in my bedroom. Inside, I stored my jewellery, but like so many of my keepsakes, the treasure got left behind.