There's more to Kenya than just wildlife safaris, writes Aruna Chandaraju, who finds herself mesmerised by the wealth of its arts and crafts.
Our vehicle stopped outside a nondescript building in Satima village of Nalare Community Area. We were in the Sabuk region of Kenya, and were pausing at this place as part of the cultural interaction with the people of the country.
We were ushered into a small shed. Inside stood three African tribeswomen. Dressed in traditional tribal attire — flamboyant colours like orange, bright blue, lime-green — with intricately worked ornaments, and wearing the most beautiful smiles too, they showed us their creations.
Bangles, bracelets and neckpieces with beads, carvings, masks, baskets, figurines, decorative plates... there were many finely-crafted items, including handpainted objects, showcased on the table beside them. All specimens of typical traditional Kenyan art.
Our guide, a school teacher, explained to us that these women had been trained carefully so as to make these good quality products aimed at the market with targeted customers being both Kenyans and tourists. "This is a wonderful way to empower women, give them a means of employment, and contribute to the overall Kenyan economy," he explained.
At a Samburu tribal village, a few days earlier, we were shown similar products, though in a different setting. After entertaining us with their dance and music, the tribals invited us to purchase items. Spreading old clothes and gunny sacks on the ground, they then placed their handcrafted wares on top.
While wildlife safaris may be the main draw for tourists to Kenya, there is a growing industry in crafts, carving and jewellery which can make your visit just as rewarding. Visiting the collectives and workshops in the interiors of Kenya or the stores in Nairobi, including its famous outdoors Masai Market, we saw a highly impressive range.
These included masks of all kinds, wooden jewellery and bead ornaments (earrings, rings, neckbands, chains, legbands, bracelets, and so on), leather handbags, wallets and belts, hand-knit material, handpainted decor items of various kinds, including decorative plates, traditional shoes, carvings, statuettes, figurines in soapstone, baskets, large sculptures, rugs, shawls, pottery, etc.
Animal motifs and themes are big here. After all, Kenya is a country that boasts of a vast range of wildlife. So lions on handbags, zebra and leopard prints on dresses and scarves, sandstone elephants and hippos, wooden carvings of giraffes, masks of animal faces, key chains using real or faux bones... there is endless variety here. The famous Masai warriors are also the subject of many decor objects. At the Nairobi airport, we saw three tourists laboriously carting three-feet-tall Masai warrior figures with spears, all in dark wood.
Cowry shells
Cowry shells were among the world's and Africa's first currencies and are still widely used in the continent's art and craft. From handbags and desktop objects to leather pouches and women's jewellery, you will see these cowry shells in many places. Shells are often interspersed with beads in many items.
In fact, beads in rich hues are very popular and used on much of the decorations on the person of traditional tribesmen and women. Among the wares on display at markets, you will also frequently find figures in wood of a couple, a single warrior with a spear, a woman with a child, or a man with an animal.
Overall, you will find plentiful use of materials like metals of various kinds, leather, seeds, shells, wood, bone, beads, horn, feathers, synthetic fibres, etc, in both personal decoration items used by the tribes and the artefacts that tourists are invited to buy.
Ornamentation and decor are an important part of the Kenyan tradition. While all tribes make use of ornamentation of some sort, the Masai are especially conscious about physical appearance and make much use of decorative beading and jewellery on their person — head, neck, chest, hands and legs included.
The Samburu warriors too use a lot of physical adornment with richly colourful ornaments on their head, chest, hands and ankles. The women of Kenya's tribes are similarly found wearing plenty of jewellery, from superbly layered plates on their chest to several bracelets and leg ornaments. The neckbands or collars that these men and women wear are especially eye-catching.
Ornaments & status
We were told the ornaments were used to convey the status of an individual and also indicated the unique identity of each tribe. Hence you will find them in a variety of shapes, patterns, colours and sizes across the tribes, and within a community too.
The Kenyan government has recognised the potential of Kenyan art and craft and is undertaking several projects to encourage the production and promotion of these rich traditions. Nurturing the skills of craftsmen and craftswomen is being done not only by the government, but private organisations and NGOs too.
Some of them add another dimension by giving vocational training to the physically challenged. These centres not only generate income for the indigenous tribes, but also give visitors and tourists an insight into the vast range and sheer beauty of Kenya's artistic heritage.
So, as you move across the country, you will find many collectives, workshops and arts bazaars. You can stop by to shop and in some places, you can even see demos as you will find artisans at work. You can find these places in Mombasa, Malindi, Nalare, Loisaba, Kisumu, etc, besides the capital Nairobi, of course.
Our vehicle stopped outside a nondescript building in Satima village of Nalare Community Area. We were in the Sabuk region of Kenya, and were pausing at this place as part of the cultural interaction with the people of the country.
We were ushered into a small shed. Inside stood three African tribeswomen. Dressed in traditional tribal attire — flamboyant colours like orange, bright blue, lime-green — with intricately worked ornaments, and wearing the most beautiful smiles too, they showed us their creations.
Bangles, bracelets and neckpieces with beads, carvings, masks, baskets, figurines, decorative plates... there were many finely-crafted items, including handpainted objects, showcased on the table beside them. All specimens of typical traditional Kenyan art.
Our guide, a school teacher, explained to us that these women had been trained carefully so as to make these good quality products aimed at the market with targeted customers being both Kenyans and tourists. "This is a wonderful way to empower women, give them a means of employment, and contribute to the overall Kenyan economy," he explained.
At a Samburu tribal village, a few days earlier, we were shown similar products, though in a different setting. After entertaining us with their dance and music, the tribals invited us to purchase items. Spreading old clothes and gunny sacks on the ground, they then placed their handcrafted wares on top.
While wildlife safaris may be the main draw for tourists to Kenya, there is a growing industry in crafts, carving and jewellery which can make your visit just as rewarding. Visiting the collectives and workshops in the interiors of Kenya or the stores in Nairobi, including its famous outdoors Masai Market, we saw a highly impressive range.
These included masks of all kinds, wooden jewellery and bead ornaments (earrings, rings, neckbands, chains, legbands, bracelets, and so on), leather handbags, wallets and belts, hand-knit material, handpainted decor items of various kinds, including decorative plates, traditional shoes, carvings, statuettes, figurines in soapstone, baskets, large sculptures, rugs, shawls, pottery, etc.
Animal motifs and themes are big here. After all, Kenya is a country that boasts of a vast range of wildlife. So lions on handbags, zebra and leopard prints on dresses and scarves, sandstone elephants and hippos, wooden carvings of giraffes, masks of animal faces, key chains using real or faux bones... there is endless variety here. The famous Masai warriors are also the subject of many decor objects. At the Nairobi airport, we saw three tourists laboriously carting three-feet-tall Masai warrior figures with spears, all in dark wood.
Cowry shells
Cowry shells were among the world's and Africa's first currencies and are still widely used in the continent's art and craft. From handbags and desktop objects to leather pouches and women's jewellery, you will see these cowry shells in many places. Shells are often interspersed with beads in many items.
In fact, beads in rich hues are very popular and used on much of the decorations on the person of traditional tribesmen and women. Among the wares on display at markets, you will also frequently find figures in wood of a couple, a single warrior with a spear, a woman with a child, or a man with an animal.
Overall, you will find plentiful use of materials like metals of various kinds, leather, seeds, shells, wood, bone, beads, horn, feathers, synthetic fibres, etc, in both personal decoration items used by the tribes and the artefacts that tourists are invited to buy.
Ornamentation and decor are an important part of the Kenyan tradition. While all tribes make use of ornamentation of some sort, the Masai are especially conscious about physical appearance and make much use of decorative beading and jewellery on their person — head, neck, chest, hands and legs included.
The Samburu warriors too use a lot of physical adornment with richly colourful ornaments on their head, chest, hands and ankles. The women of Kenya's tribes are similarly found wearing plenty of jewellery, from superbly layered plates on their chest to several bracelets and leg ornaments. The neckbands or collars that these men and women wear are especially eye-catching.
Ornaments & status
We were told the ornaments were used to convey the status of an individual and also indicated the unique identity of each tribe. Hence you will find them in a variety of shapes, patterns, colours and sizes across the tribes, and within a community too.
The Kenyan government has recognised the potential of Kenyan art and craft and is undertaking several projects to encourage the production and promotion of these rich traditions. Nurturing the skills of craftsmen and craftswomen is being done not only by the government, but private organisations and NGOs too.
Some of them add another dimension by giving vocational training to the physically challenged. These centres not only generate income for the indigenous tribes, but also give visitors and tourists an insight into the vast range and sheer beauty of Kenya's artistic heritage.
So, as you move across the country, you will find many collectives, workshops and arts bazaars. You can stop by to shop and in some places, you can even see demos as you will find artisans at work. You can find these places in Mombasa, Malindi, Nalare, Loisaba, Kisumu, etc, besides the capital Nairobi, of course.