The Makonde people live on either side of the Tanzania-Mozambique border. Carving communities lived in relative isolation in the savannah highlands until the beginning of the 20th century, when they began to migrate to the coastal areas in search of employment. Awareness of their craft, which was passed down through the generations, gradually spread and in the 1950’s a Makonde workshop was set up in Dar es Salaam. The peculiar carvings began to attract attention from international art dealers and fine example can be seen in galleries and museums around the world.
The figurines are carved out of a single block of African Blackwood using an adze or teso, saw, chisel, and a variety of other tools to create certain effects. Modern Makonde carvings fall into three main categories: representing men and women carrying out traditional roles within the community; intertwined figures participating in ceremonial rituals or showing several generations derived from a common ancestor, known as ‘people trees’; and depictions of ancestors & spirits from mythology in human form, often with an enlarged left ear.
FOLKLORE: Many communities actually believe the sculptures are embodiments of the spirits, and make offerings of maize and corn to them. Some still hold that they possess supernatural powers, and male Makonde carvers can carry a female figuring as a good luck charm.
CAUTION: Make sure it is original ebony if you are buying ebony carvings, not a carving polished with black polish.
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