Abstract:
Milking stools in the collections of the National Cultural History Museum: an investigation of typology. In this study the physical or other characteristics that might typify the traditional milking stool is investigated. This was done by studying a comparable group of eighteen examples from the Anthropology and Cultural History collections of the National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria. Six of the objects in the group studied had already been associated with the Afrikaans catchword ‘melkstoel’, hence the primary sources that informed the research included the museological data from the existing documentation of the Museum. The investigation confirmed that corresponding physical attributes, especially that pertaining to construction, could be identified in the group studied. It was also found that the objects had seen multiple, but indeterminable, functional applications. Since fifteen of the eighteen examples studied were essentially anonymous, as no documented provenance existed, their origin, history and meaning could not be established. The research was therefore extended to secondary sources, being textual descriptions and images, from which associations and correlations between the group studied and milking stools, especially from Western Europe and the English-speaking world, could be affirmed. Moreover, such links were also found to exist with other stools and certain vernacular chair typologies of shared approach, especially as to their construction. Findings identified certain typological features of the milking stool, but also a symbolic and metaphorical association. Multiple functions of and applications for the milking stool could be ascertained. AFRIKAANS : In hierdie studie word ondersoek ingestel of enige eienskappe, fisies of andersins, die tradisionele melkstoeltjie tipeer. Dit is onderneem aan die hand van ‘n studiegroep van agtien soortgelyke voorwerpe uit die Antropologie-versameling en die Kultuurhistoriese versameling van die Nasionale Kultuurhistoriese Museum, Pretoria. Dié primêre bronne word in die ondersoek ondersteun deur museale bronne ontsluit uit die Museum se dokumentasiesentrum, waar ses van die voorwerpe in die studiegroep reeds assosieer is met die trefwoord ‘melkstoel’. Die ondersoek het bevestig dat sekere fisiese kenmerke van die studiegroep, veral in hul konstruksie, dui op groepsverband. Daar is ook bevind dat die voorwerpe vir meervoudige, maar onbepaalde, funksies gebruik is.Van die agtien voorwerpe in die studiegroep is vyftien van anonieme herkoms, sodat hul oorsprong, geskiedenis en betekenis nie met sekerheid vasgestel kon word nie. Die navorsing is daarom uitgebrei na tekstuele beskrywings en beelde, as sekondêre bronne, om hierdie en ander kenmerke te ondersoek. Hieruit is die studiegroep in verband gebring met melkstoeltjies uit veral Wes-Europa en die Engelssprekende wêreld, asook ander stoeltjies en volkstoele wat soortgelyke eienskappe en konstruksiekenmerke het. Bevindings dui op bepaalde tipologiese kenmerke van ‘n melkstoeltjie, maar ook ‘n wyer, assosiatiewe begrip wat manifesteer in beeldspraak en ‘n metaforiese konteks. Meervoudige gebruike en aanwendings van die melkstoeltjie is nagespeur. Copyright
