Kenya
--Material
Culture
Each
of Kenya's
ethnic
groups
has a
wide range
of material
cultural
products
including
architecture,
cooking
utensils,
clothes,
textiles,
farming
equipment,
hunting
tools,
baskets,
mats,
head rests,
shields,
art works,
carvings,
sculpture,
etc. The
following
only highlights
a few
cultural
materials.
However,
most art
and craft
production
is for
the lucrative
tourist
market.
A stroll
in downtown
Nairobi
will reveal
the diversity
of items
and quality
available.
Sculpture
of poor
quality
and low
price
to museum
quality
work can
be found
in Kenya.
The same
goes for
art; batiks,
which
are common,
also vary
dramatically
in price
and quality.
Other
items
produced
for the
tourist
market
include
sisal
baskets,
soapstone
sculpture
from Kisii,
elephant
hair (not
real elephant
hair)
bracelets,
Maasai
bead jewelry,
musical
instruments,
and silver
and gold
jewelry.
One aspect
of material
culture
that is
important
to Kenyans
and not
destined
for the
tourist
market
is the
work of
craftsmen
who transform
waste
items
into every
day useful
things.
For example,
old oil
drums
are turned
into cooking
pots or
tiny stoves
called
jikos;
used tires
are turned
into sandals.
One of
the most
visible
textiles
in Kenya
is the
kanga.
It is
a large
colorful
cloth
that has
a traditional
saying
or proverb
in Swahili.
Women
usually
wear a
kanga
over their
other
clothing
to keep
it clean,
to carry
their
children,
or to
carry
things.
Some examples
of kanga
sayings
are[1]:
Tulia
tuishi
wazuri
haweshi
- Calm
down and
live with
me, pretty
ones are
never
in short
supply.
Hata
ukinichukia
la kweli
nitakwambia
- Hate
me, but
I won't
stop telling
you the
truth.
Moyo
wa kupenda
hauna
subira
- A heart
deep in
love has
no patience.
Usikumbuke
uovu ukasahau
fadhila
- Don't
remember
the evil
things
only while
forgetting
to be
thankful
for the
good deeds
- Make
a judgement
based
on both,
the good
and bad
side of
everything.
Halua
ya lozi
imemshinda
mdokozi
- An almond
sweetmeat
is a formidable
challenge
to a petty
thief
- Sweetmeat
is a famous
dessert
in Zanzibar
and along
the coast
of East
Africa.
It is
made of
starch,
sugar,
oil and
sometimes
nuts or
sesame
seeds.
Depending
on the
way it
is made,
it can
be as
soft as
a jelly,
but sometimes
it may
be very
hard to
cut with
fingers.
The saying
above
is meant
to laugh
at someone
who has
attempted
in vain
to do
something,
especially
to win
over somebody
else's
lover.
Ukiujua
huu, huu
huujui
- If you
know this
one, you
don't
know this
(other)
one -
Sometimes
interpreted
as a gesture
demonstrated
by flies
when they
rub their
legs forward
and then
repeat
rubbing
their
legs backward.
i.e if
you know
the forward
one, you
don't
know the
backward
one. In
other
words
you will
always
find that
there
is something
you don't
know.
Mchezea
wembe
humkata
mwenyewe
- He who
plays
with a
razor,
cuts himself
- If you
get involved
in a dangerous
exercise,
you are
bound
to be
harmed
physically
or emotionally.
Mchimba
kisima,
huingia
mwenyewe
- He who
digs a
well,
gets himself
inside
- A person
who sets
a trap
often
times
finds
himself
caught
in it.
If you
have bad
intentions
against
others,
chances
are, you'll
be the
first
to be
affected
by those
intentions
directly
or indirectly.
Haba
na haba,
hujaza
kibaba
- Little
and little,
fills
the measure
- Small
things,
when combined
together
make up
big things.
Men on
the coast
wear kikoi,
a type
of sarong
that comes
in many
different
colors
and textiles.
However,
the preferred
style
is stripes.
The Maasai
produce
colorful
beaded
jewelry
which
includes
earrings
and collars.
Another
Maasai
item is
the decorated
calabash.
A gourd
is dried
out by
burning
grass
in it.
The Maasai
use these
gourds
for keeping
milk and
blood,
and they
add soot
to aid
in the
fermentation
of milk.
The gourds
are decorated
by carving
figures
and geometric
designs
on the
outside.
[1] Http://www.glcom.com/hassan/kanga.html
For
Further
Reading:
ADDIN
ENBbu
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Ghaidan,
Usam.
1972.
Swahili
plasterwork.
African
Arts
6 (2):46-49.
Orchardson-Mazrui,
Elizabeth
C. 1993.
Jangamizi:
Spirit
and Sculpture.
African
Languages
and Culture
6(2):147-160.
Todd,
C. 1961.
Modern
sculpture
and sculptors
in East
Africa.
African
Music
2 (4):72-76.