Scent ball

Zulu people, South Africa

Collected by Antoinette Powell-Cotton in 1935, and donated by her in 1937; 1937.38.66This object was collected around the town of Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. A mixture of fine splinters of scented wood and grease has been formed into a ball around a central string loop, which meant it could be worn on a belt or round the wrist. It was used to rub scent into areas of the body such as the underarms, between the legs and on the neck.