Mortar Makonde #2

Although they are among the five largest peoples of Tanzania, they have always been a people living on their own. As a result, their customs and traditions have hardly been affected. Yet everyone knows they are there. Their magnificent carvings are world famous.

Woodcarving plays a major role in their daily existence. Each piece of carving has a meaning or is based on a tradition that sometimes goes back centuries.

The figures they carve tell something about the life of the Makonde, their joys, their needs and their urges.