Claiming craft, claiming culture – The creation of value in post-colonial Namibian craft markets

Abstract

Tourist crafts in Namibia serve as memories of exciting trips and holidays. The consumption of craft intersects with the consumption of culture because craft is seen as a marker of cultural identity. Purchasing decisions are made by an evaluation of cultural attributes of objects on offer. This paper describes the valorisation process of craft in the Namibian craft market. The history of craft objects will be contrasted with the perspectives of the tourists on craft in order to demonstrate how value(s) is imposed on craft objects. By presenting the production chain of Namibian crafts, colonial traces in the creation of value will be exposed. This paper shows that the perceptions of the tourists contradict with the history and the conditions of production of craft objects which leads to a fetishization of the crafts.