Dance mask by Joy AdamsonNational Museums of Kenya
Meet the Kuria
The Kuria people live in Migori county, Kenya, and belong to the Bantu linguistic group. Historically they celebrated events like wedding ceremonies with a variety of traditional songs and dances. They wore special costumes, body markings and clothing for these dances.
HeadbandNational Museums of Kenya
Marriage traditions
A traditional Kuria wedding ceremony was characterized by a great feast, songs, dance and merry-making. This is a Mandara, a headband that was made and worn by both married and unmarried women for dancing.
Dancing skirtNational Museums of Kenya
This is a dancing skirt for young men, which was worn during weddings and other traditional ceremonies.
Kuria (1997) by Leonard KateeteNational Museums of Kenya
Marriage between women
The Kuria had a quasi-matriarchal system, which allowed barren women of means to marry younger women in order to have children. The older woman would invite a younger woman into her home, who would choose (often in secret) a male partner to biologically father her children.
The children were brought up by the two women without the involvement of the father or the older woman's husband. This painting by Joy Adamson shows a Kuria man seated with his wife's wife.
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