The Kuria Community of Kenya

Cultivating the farm

This is a wooden hoe. It was made from wood of the omobagai tree and used for cultivating the farm.

Harvesting farm produce

This Egekebe (harvesting knife) was made by a blacksmith from scrap iron. It was used by both men and women for reaping millet and other grains, and for peeling cassava.

The roles of Kuria men

Men were the primary decision makers, and were responsible for providing for and protecting the community. They built houses and cattle enclosures, herded cattle, cleared land for agriculture, hunted, farmed, and instructed the young warriors on defending the community.

This knobkerrie (irungu) was made by men using wood from the omotaburo tree. It was used as a weapon and for killing small animals.

Inyonga

This is a water pot made by old women specialists. It would be placed on three stones to keep water cool.

The Kuria women moulded pots, plates and dishes used for storing grains, drinking water, milk, porridge, cooking, carrying water from the river and for brewing local beer. The women also cared for the family in all instances, farmed and made tools or equipment for the household.

Ihuri

This beater was made by male specialists from the wood of the Umuhuru tree. It was cut with an adze and finished off with a knife. It was used by women to beat the grain when removing it from the stalk.

Ruhongo

This is a winnowing tray. It was made by male weavers and used by women for winnowing millet (wimbi). The twigs were usually obtained from the forests, kept outside for a day, and then weaved by specialists. Women then plastered the inside with cow dung so wimbi flour would not stick in between strands.

Dancing mask

This mask would be made of cow skin. It was used by men for the Isubo dance to admit old men into elderhood. It is stuck with red lucky beans and feathers for eyebrows and has a feather surround.

The saro ritual

Amongst the Kuria, graduation from childhood to adulthood was traditionally known as 'saro' and initiates got to join an age set (esaro).

This ritual was marked with circumcision for both boys and girls. When a girl was married, her age set group was changed to that of her husband, as no one was allowed to marry from the same age-set.

This is a painting of a Kuria circumcised boy wearing an elaborate skirt, which indicates that he had recently undergone circumcision and was in seclusion.

In Kenya today, female circumcision is illegal and communities are encouraged to adopt alternative initiation practices that do not involve female genital mutilation (FGM).

Marriage

Traditionally, when a Kuria young man found a suitable girl to marry, he was expected to pay twenty to twenty five cows as bride wealth to the bride's family. If he was unable to afford this, his family members would contribute one cow each to make up the total number. A man was accorded respect depending on the number of wives he had. A traditional Kuria wedding ceremony was characterized by a great feast, songs, dance and merry-making.

Mandara was a headband made and worn by married and unmarried women for dancing. The beads are threaded on sisal fiber.

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. The older woman could be a widow or single women who lived like a male elder – attending to light business affairs.

This is a wooden milking bowl made of umuhuru wood, and used by women and children.

The Isubo ceremony

This dancing platform is made of wood cut from the mutembe tree and curved using an adze and knife. It was used by young men during a grand traditional dance called Isubo. The platforms were attached to the feet by cow hide thongs. This fastened them firmly to the feet so the wearer could stamp and jump freely in the heat of the dance.

Isubo was an important ceremony for initiating old men to ritual elders. During the ceremony, all the young men within the community brought beer, cows, goats or sheep. It cost a great deal as fifty cows would be slaughtered for the feast.

An ostrich shell used to cover the navel

Half an Iriseresegwe (ostrich shell) made by fathers for their circumcised daughters. Inside are seeds and beeswax.

This was used by circumcised girls only to cover their navels at dances. The navel was never to be seen by outsiders as it was considered very bad luck for the girl.