The Kola Nut Cannot Be Contained

What do you know about the kola nut?

This bitter-tasting fruit has been centrally important in West African culture and trade since at least the 11th century. Consumed as a stimulant due to its high caffeine content, kola has many religious, medicinal and social uses, and is a ritual symbol of goodwill and unity. During the 19th century, kola nut was extracted as an ingredient for European and American products, including Coca-Cola, chocolate and medicine.

In this evolving display discover a series of stories from a range of contributors about the entangled global histories, vibrant traditions, and future innovations connected to this fascinating fruit. Take part in tours and informal activities happening in this space.

‘The Kola Nut Cannot Be Contained’ is the first in a series of focused displays inspired by our collections.

“Through this process of uncontaining, I explore identity from the African diasporic perspective. What does it mean to be entangled by genealogy yet disconnected by geography?”

Nathan Bossoh, Curator, Historian and Musician

Audio, 3 minutes 5 seconds

‘Kola Assemblages’ explores the decay, distortion, aging, deterioration, mutation and evolutions of the kola nut and its supply chain. The visual stills reflect the different landscapes that kola nuts traverse and the ways in which the nuts are used to maintain and preserve African diasporic cultures.

Kola nuts are farmed, weighed, shipped, and are transformed by their journey from West Africa to the UK. The imported kola nuts are often visible in local London streets such as Deptford High Street. When packaged and sold, they lose their firmness and form. Some imported kola nuts are even sold with masking tape carefully wrapped around them to keep their original form intact.

The mutation of the kola nut‘s image highlights this evolution when travelling far from their original province. The colour also gradually changes when cut and exposed to the air, from pink and cream to amber and sienna. Yet nuts in London have little potency for dyeing fabric compared with the vibrant colours seen in practices of traditional clothing dye. The tensions of kola’s degradations and transformations as it travels reflect the complexities of diasporic cultural transition and adaptability.

Ibiye Camp, Artist

“For African-descended peoples, this caffeine-rich seed was instrumental in the memory and expression of their homeland, as well as significant for medicinal and ceremonial traditions.”

Dr Shantel George, Lecturer in History at the University of Glasgow

Audio, 4 minutes 53 seconds

This display case shows products containing kola-nut extract, or advertisements for them, made and sold in Britain from the 1880s to 1950s. Dr Tibbles Vi-Cocoa was a “stimulating” cocoa drink containing kola, malt and hops, here marketed to children, elderly people and “the professional man”. Pharmaceutical firm Burroughs Wellcome & Company (owned by Henry Wellcome, whose money founded this institution) also produced a cocaine and kola-extract drug. Named Forced March, it was marketed for military, travel and “exploratory” uses.

A booklet issued with the company’s medicine kits explicitly states that intended customers were “Explorers, Missionaries, Travellers, Colonists, Planters and others”. This raises questions about the connections between botanical knowledge, drug manufacture and empire.

Burroughs Wellcome’s kola and cocaine drug was included in first-aid kits issued to British soldiers in the First World War, and was carried on early expeditions to the South Pole. Conversely, in the 1890s this medicine, containing a West African ingredient, was carried by British troops fighting imperial wars against African countries and peoples. Future research is needed to explore the company’s role in these activities.

Ruth Horry, Curator, Wellcome Collection

“Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of kola. Processing to obtain nuts leaves huge wastes behind. In our decade-long research, we have used the kola pod, seed, leaf and seed shell to produce nanoparticles. The nanoparticles can be developed into medical and non-pharmaceutical products.”

Professor Agbaje Lateef, Professor of Microbiology at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

Audio, 4 minutes 43 seconds

Do you have a connection to kola, or thoughts on food and heritage?

Help us expand on this public display of stories.

We would like to thank the artists, lenders, contributors, and internal and external colleagues who have generously shared their works, expertise and ideas, and who have contributed to the planning, delivery and ongoing development of the display.

Special thanks to Paul Basu, Laurie Britton Newell, Zoë Varley, Catherine Walker and everyone who has contributed after the display’s opening.

Audiovisual: Jeremy Bryans

Access Content Producer: Ruth Garde

Build: Exib

BSL Producer: Remark!

BSL Translation: David Ellington, Ahmed Mudawi and Radha Starr

Conservator: Kath Knowles

Design: Martin McGrath Studio

Engagement Producer: Razia Jordan

Gallery Manager: Christian Kingham

Project Manager: Amy Higgitt

Registrar: Rowan De Saulles

Curated by Nathan Bossoh, University of Southampton, and Ruth Horry, Wellcome Collection, based on a proposal by Nathan Bossoh.