L'arbre de vie (Tree of Life) est constitué d'éléments d'armes de guerre qui ont été restituées par les combattants de la guerre civile qui a eu lieu au Mozambique entre 1976 et 1992 Quatre artistes ont créé cette sculpture : Adelino Serafim Maté, Fiel dos Santos, Hilario Nhatugueja et Christavao Canhavato (Kester) Maputo, Mozambique, 2004

It is a product of the Transforming Arms into Tools (TAE) project and is made from decommissioned weapons. TAE was set up by Bishop Dom Dinis Sengulane in 1995 and is supported by Christian Aid.

During Mozambique's civil war, which lasted from 1976 to 1992, millions of guns and other weapons poured into the country and most of them remain hidden or buried in the bush. The project is an attempt to eliminate the threat presented by the hidden weapons. Mozambicans are encouraged to hand them over in exchange for items like ploughs, bicycles and sewing machines. In one case a whole village gave up its weapons in exchange for a tractor. Extrait du site du musée

Département Afrique British Museum