Folk Art Wall Painting, Malawi, ca. 1914-1918

Black and white lantern slide featuring a rectangular thatched hut painted with symbols of people and animals. One painted figure stands with what seems to be a pipe in his mouth next to a painting of a leopard-like animal. Another human figure is painted standing with a fist aloft in front of another animal (possibly an aardvark.) The word "NEMBO" is painted on the wall. The Chewa tribe in Nyasaland were differentiated from their neighbours by tattoos called "nembo", to which the word may allude and the paintings may represent. Soldiers in the uniform of the King's African Rifles can just be seen in the background of the image. This slide comes from a set on the activities of the King’s African Rifles battalions in Nyasaland. It was originally held by the Church of Scotland, and generated by J.W MacKay.