KWETU HOME- Sanaa Tamu

Swahili display cabinets

By Caroline Uliwa

A SanaaTamu display cabinet, 
over 90% of the materials of it are
sourced & madein Tanzania.
Inclusive of the boat nails acting
as knobs

In the eastern hemisphere during the 19th century, the display cabinet was coined originating from a book case. As slowly it became more fashionable to display one’s ornaments than mere books on the shelves. Typically a display cabinet is a cabinet with open panels covered in glass or left open as shelves. Growing up in the 90’s in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I recall bumping into this piece of furniture in many homes. 

Where those valuable ‘vyombo’ living oddly at the living room, sat against a floral wallpaper shielding the back insides of these cabinets. To date the display cabinet is one that is still a cool item in the home. In the past in Europe they were also used to store valuable documents; some were laced with expensive velvet, with precious metals used for their knobs. It’s just our luck today you can find a display cabinet from Tanzania, that is laced with just as much history and treasure.

Sanaa Tamu’s display cabinets

The display cabinets you see here are made in Tanzania by the design furniture brand SanaaTamu, which is over 15 years old. I sat down with the brands founder & chief designer Mr. Joshua Ngowi, to learn what it takes to construct these furniture artworks.

“We source most of our wood from dhows that are beyond repair, it doesn’t mean they’re rotten. You know dhows are made with a rib structure outside and inside you have the planks, dhows are strong but with time it’s like a car. You reach a point where repairing it is pointless, it’s better to get another one, that’s where we step in.

My play with a display item, these glass jars
are from jams. Inside them is river stones,
and a kitenge fabric at the bottom.

Nowadays we have an agent who gets them from all over the coast of Tanzania-Zanzibar, Mtwara, Tanga. Himself a fisherman he has a good network in the community. When he hears somebody is selling his dhow, he goes checks it out shares photos and we see if we’ll buy it...”Mr Ngowi told us of the main ingredient in the furniture at Sanaa Tamu including these display cabinets.

I learned from Joshua that dhows are constructed with hardwood and one dhow will have more than two woods in its design. As the varied trees have different characteristics of malleability and seafaring all needed for a good dhow.

In the end Sanaa Tamu’s choice to use up cycled dhow wood in their furniture means their pieces immediately have a lot of texture. As the wood panels have organic shapes depending on where on the boat they came from, turns out the disassembly of the worn out dhows. Is a process in itself requiring masons to carefully dismantle the dhow so that as many wood panels come out of it otherwise dismantling it wrong, means it’ll be just good for firewood. Those good panels end up being furniture with a sea weathered look that is very charming and as its hardwood, the pieces are very strong.

Knowing that these display cabinets were once dhows on the sea, with hands that have touched it coming from a tradition of fishing going down centuries to the coastal people of East Africa, already makes you proud to own the piece. “On this display cabinet we worked with a wood carver; you know those bed headboards from the coast which have intricate floral designs. Those who do it aren’t necessarily carpenters; they’ve learned their skills passed down the generations from master to apprentice. We employ them from time to time to work on our pieces.”Joshua shared.

It might also impress you to know the metal components of these cabinets here come from scrap metal again yaeei to the upcycling ethos. So the ‘bawaba’ that operates these cabinets is scrap metal, the knobs in one of these cabinets is from nails made here in Tanzania specifically for adjoining dhows.

What to put on display cabinets

A SanaaTamu Display Cabinet,
just look at the carvings, so embedded
in the Swahili culture of East Africa

You can use a display cabinet to place dishware but really it can be the home of anything tasteful of your choice. The artist in you is asked to come out and play, think glass vases with shells and sand. I once scrunched up a kitenge scrap at the bottom of a normal glass and then placed assorted river bed gravel rocks on top. At the top of the glass I placed a dried Mkangazi seed pod to complete the look. I made two of them then placed them on a shelf, they look delish. 

So don’t be afraid to experiment to see what appeals to you for display, if you are a collector. This is a good place to show off your collection, it could be black & white family & friends photos that you’ve placed in artsy frames. Also don’t be shy to browse the net for inspiration. The rule of thumb is to create harmony in your arrangement be it by color palette or echoing patterns. Think two small vases of the aloe plant where the middle is a couple of books. Yes you can place seeming odd pieces together as long as you’re happy with the result. Otherwise remember we’re only given this one earth, best to live with it well.

Sanaa Tamu furniture can be found at Spinella in Masaki (Twiga Street off Chole Rd) in Dar es Salaam or at TFA Completx, western wings Shop No 3&4 in Arusha.