
3 2 c m
40cm
actual image size: 32cm x 24cm
Description
These sutures made from thorns lashed together with fibre cord are from Mombasa, Kenya. In some Australian Aboriginal and African cultures, sharp thorns were used to sew up wounds, with threads of vine or creeper jammed into a split at the wider end. The thorns could be made even harder if placed in the embers of a fire, which also had the effect of killing any germs present.
Image Details
Image Ref.
10285127
© Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library