Zanzibar Plates

'Zanzibar plates' have been in the East African region since the second half of the 19th century. Porcelain and ceramics from Persia and China had arrived ealier, imported to East Africa over many centuries. This book explores the cultural significance of these early imports and that of their replacements, the so-called Zanzibar plates out of Europe. Though these latter plates were low-cost utilitarian ware in the local European market, they were transformed in usage, value, and design upon interacting with the people of the Indian Ocean littoral, becoming an integral part of Swahili culture.