Show & Tell: Cape Town Carvings

Show and tell Friday is hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home.

As a young girl with an interest in geography in peoples around the world, I always wanted to have a collection of dolls from various countries. One of my maternal uncles worked on a ship that took him to many countries. At one point he brought our family a 90-plus piece set of porcelain dishes from China. This became the special-occasion set used for holidays and other events.

Although I made known to him my desire for international dolls, he never got any for me. But around my 22nd birthday he came for a visit and handed me a paper sack. I took it with one hand, and immediately sank down to the floor under the weight of its contents. Upon opening it I found two carved heads of dark wood.

My uncle indicated that he had purchased them in Cape Town, South Africa. The sculptures were a combination of smooth and rough textures.

When I received them the finish was a dark uniform color. As a part of my living room décor they were set on a lamp table or sometimes the coffee table. In time sunlight faded the dark finish and revealed a striated wood underneath.


I have always enjoyed the rich elegance of the forms and so have my friends.

Over the years I even had offers to buy them. But I consider them a treasure with special family ties to my favorite uncle.

To visit other Show and Tell posts, please go to Kelli’s. Do come again soon. Please leave a comment. Thank you for coming by.