There are signs hidden in the infrastructure. In the Nigerian city of Jos, the unpredictable availability of power, fuel, water, etc. becomes a vehicle of meaning. In many settings across the globe, infrastructure is often made invisible, and the centre stage that it takes in everyday life remains unrecognized. In Jos, however, as in many African cities, the consta...

The article describes a bridewealth prestation amongthe Chagga-speaking people of Tanzania. Departingfrom approaches that rely on the notion of reciprocity,the author explores how the prestation per se constitutes,rather than represents, the relationship betweenwife-givers and wife-receivers. By investigating themateriality of the exchanged object, the relationship...