Abstract

This chapter explores cultural interactions on the East African coast in the late nineteenth century through the story of two Swahili 'viti vya enzi' (chairs of power) which were collected and now reside in museums in Britain. The narratives of these two chairs expose both the cultural knowledge that the British had of Swahili culture but also how these objects changed in meaning as they shifted through time and space, and became objects of power for their new British owners.