African Carvings and Sculptures

This is an example of a miniature sculpture created by an unknown Makonde carver. Makonde artists were encouraged to curve in Ivory and stone by an Indian merchant named Mr. Peeras who had a shop in Dar es salaam where the collector, Mr. Murumbi purchased this head and other works.

The Makonde sculptors, after noticing such interest, decided to carve the new pieces using pau-preto (ebony wood, Diospyros ebenum) and pau-rosa (Swartzia spp.) instead of the soft and non long-lasting wood they had used before.

The first contact with the Western culture can be considered to be the first introduction of the classical European style into the traditional Makonde style.

An essential step was the turning to abstract figures, mostly spirits, Shetani, that play a special role.

The ex libris of ritual Makonde art are the unique Mapiko masks (singular: Lipiko), which have been used in coming-of-age rituals since before contact was made with missionaries, in the 19th century.

These masks are painstakingly carved from a single block of light wood (usually 'sumaumeira brava') and may represent spirits ('shetani'), ancestors, or living characters (real or idealized).

It has been documented that the people we know as the Shona started carving stones more than 2000 years ago.

Originally, they would carve to express both personal and spiritual beliefs.

They are very religious and spiritual people. The Shona believe in ancestral spirits known as “Vadzimu” spirits.

Shona sculptures demonstrate the unity between our two worlds, the physical and the spiritual.

These incredible stone carvers hold firm to the belief that every stone and every thing has a life spirit. It is that 'life spirit' that influences what sculpture that stone will become.

Many artists believe that it is their job to “release the spirit from the stone”.

Shona artists that have been carving for many years have developed their own distinct style.

Each sculpture is an original and completely hand carved by an artist.

Because the Shona are so spiritual, the artists have been able to retain their own artistic styles and freedom of expression.

The other branch, called Ateker, migrated westwards. Ateker further split into several groups, including Turkana in present day Kenya, Iteso, Dodoth, Jie, Karamojong, and Kumam in present day Uganda, also Jiye and Toposa in southern Sudan all of them together now known as the "Teso Cluster" or "Karamojong Cluster".

It is said that the Karamojong were originally known as the Jie. The name Karamojong derived from phrase "ekar ngimojong", meaning "the old men can walk no farther".

Cattle are a key element of Karamojong culture. They are highly valued both in economic and social terms.

Cattle are literally wealth; they are used to establish families, acquire political supporters, achieve status, and influence public affairs. The payment of cattle, as bride-wealth, to a girl's kin is an essential step in arranging a marriage.

Proportions are arbitrary: the hands may be unnaturally placed and the legs truncated

Attention is concentrated on the head, as it's customary in traditional sculpture.

At present, several hundred Mintadi statuettes are known. They were made approximately from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century by Mbomba and other Kongo peoples.