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| Cruet sets. Right to left: Mandela and De Klerk (2016.44.1), Tutu and Terre Blanche (2016.44.2) and Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (2016.44.3) © Pitt Rivers Museum |
I have recently
accessioned an interesting new acquisition of Africana into the collections. At the time of
the first free elections in South Africa in 1994 a local pottery in Bryanston,
S. Africa, called Baker Street originals produced two salt and pepper sets, one
depicting Nelson Mandela and F.W. Klerk and the other Archbishop Tutu and
Eugene Terre Blanche; subsequently at the time of the Queen's state visit to
South Africa a couple of years later they produced a third set representing the
Queen and Prince Philip. Baker Street trading the manufacturers of the cruet
sets was established in 1986 and through the years has manufactured various
items for the home and garden including the now famous and collectable cruet sets of South African political figures. The company are still manufacturing goods
but no longer produce the cruet sets, which were produced in small quantities. The
Mandela and De Klerk and the Archbishop Tutu and Terre Blanche sets were
donated with their original packing, a cardboard box illustrated by South
African cartoonist Peter Mascher, who has worked for South African newspapers Beeld,
Citizen and Daily Dispatch. The cruet sets are made from terracotta and have
been hand painted, they are caricatures of the famous South African political
figures and British monarch. Mandela and Tutu were famously anti-apartheid
freedom fighters whilst the position of De Klerk is more complicated, he was
Head of State under the apartheid era but helped to broker the end of apartheid
and supported the transformation of South Africa into a non-racial democracy
whilst Terre Blanche was a white supremacist, a major figure in the right-wing
backlash against the collapse of apartheid.
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Pepper shaker depicting Nelson Mandela (2016.44.1 .1) © Pitt Rivers Museum
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Pair of salt and pepper shakers depicting Archbishop Tutu and Eugene Terre Blanche with souvenir cardboard box (2016.44.2) © Pitt Rivers Museum
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Following a series of tense negotiations and years of liberation
struggle, the first democratic election was held in South Africa on the 27th
April, 1994. This election changed the history of South Africa. It paved the
way towards a new democratic dispensation and a new constitution for the
country. For the first time all races in the country were going to the polls to
vote for a government of their choice. Nineteen political parties participated
and twenty-two million people voted. The African National Congress (ANC) won
the election, they formed the Government of National Unity and Nelson Mandela
became South Africa’s first black president. De Klerk was the last Head of
State of South Africa under the apartheid era and acted as deputy president during the presidency of Mandela. Controversially, the Nobel Peace Prize 1993 was awarded
jointly to Mandela and De Klerk "for their work for the peaceful
termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new
democratic South Africa"
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| Pepper shaker depicting Queen Elizabeth II (2016.44.3 .1) © Pitt Rivers Museum |
Queen Elisabeth II visited Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and
Port Elisabeth between the 19 - 25th March 1995 on a state visit to South Africa. It was the first visit of a British monarch since 1947. Her trip
marked the country's return to the Commonwealth following the election of its
first multi-racial government. Her visit was as Head of State visiting an
independent country and also as Head of the Commonwealth to mark South Africa's
return to the organisation in July 1994.
Faye Belsey
Assistant Curator
