What We Wear: Maasai Men
Decoding the fabrics for every age and stage of the Maasai community in Arusha, Tanzania.
Passing from childhood to adulthood (2020) by Aayushi SainiProject FUEL
For the Maasai, clothing holds an important value, it is seen as a cultural symbol. The style of the attire varies depending on their age, sex and social position. The Maasai clothing has a symbolic meaning as it was their way of differentiating between the various stages in the age-set system and lifecycle.
This exhibit explores the different clothing styles of Maasai men through different age-sets.
1. Young Child
Young Maasai children traditionally wear single colour clothes, that are tied on one shoulder. Boys from the age of 6 or 7 start carrying wooden sticks, known in local languages as fimbos. This is when they start learning to properly master the art of stick fighting.
2. Preadolescent Boys
As the boy grows, so does his responsibilities in Maasai culture. He is now responsible of taking care of the cattle and herds. The fimbos are also longer in size. The sandals that they wear are generally made of recycled rubber tyres.
3. Young Man
The next age set in Maasai culture now begin their journey to become a warrior. Leading to their circumcision rite of passage known as Emorata, young men wear black, as it portrays unity, preparing them for daily struggle as they grow. They put on black cloaks and ostrich feather headdresses.
4. Circumcised Boy
Circumcision ceremony is the most vital initiation of all rites of passages for men in the Maasai society. This initiation is performed shortly after puberty. The initiation elevates an individual from childhood to adulthood. After passing the ceremony, Maasai boys wear black clothes and get decorated with detailed accessories which marks the initiation of men into warriorhood. They also paint symbols on their faces using white soil.
5. Maasai Warrior
The Morani or Warriors wear two pieces of cloth, primarily red in colour, one worn across the right shoulder that drapes down the body with a belt around the waist and the other piece of cloth is worn around the shoulders.
6. Elders
Older men or elders typically wear two to three pieces of cloth usually in a darker red colour, one around the waist, one across the right shoulder. They also use shuka to protect them from cold. Shuka, a checkboard pattern cloth is widely identified with the Maasai of Tanzania and Kenya.
Project FUEL would like to thank the Maasai community in the Losimingori village of Arusha, Tanzania for opening their hearts and home to this research.
This exhibit is part of the Wise Wall Project, an initiative of Project FUEL, to document, design, and strengthen the wisdom of rural communities and marginalized villages using art and community outreach programs. In the third edition of this project, we collaborated with the Maasai, in Arusha, Tanzania, to build an on-ground community centre for the people and bring an exclusive insight into the life, lifestyle, and learnings of this inspiring community.
Illustration: Aayushi Saini
Research, Interviews and Curation: Project FUEL
Project Partners: Vijana Inspiring Foundation, Vikram Solar Ltd., Lions Club of Dar es Salaam and Arusha, Google Arts & Culture
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