Circumcision Bow

Two bows carved in geometric designs in the bark which is left on the back of the bows. Made by circumcised boys. The bows are from the wood of the "Msongorewa" tree which is cut using a knife and the arrow from :Iroroti" trees. When the boys have recovered from the operation of the circumcision they make these bows and carry them for thirty days. They use them to shoot boys who have not been circumcised with arrows. At the end of this period the bows are thrown away but the arrows used are kept and passed on to the next boys to be circumcised. The designs on the bows mean different things. They were made under instruction from the "Muganga".