Mekonde Ten Original African Carvings

Makonde art derives from the Makonde people living on the plateau south of the Ruvuma river in Mozambique (rather than from the Tanzanian Makonde). They migrated north into Tanzania and entered into the curio trade that began to emerge in the 1950s and 1960s in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara.

A 1950's early original  set collection which we obtained from a friend who came from the area 

A set of Ten hand carved original figurines and items from the East African area of Mekonde who use a particular wood to carve their designs with the Mpingo Black Wood , heart wood similar to ebony  and using the outer wood to great effect as part of their expression of normal life as water carriers and similar everyday items 

Using to advantage Mpingo’s density and rich beauty, the Makonde have developed an art form that has been passed through succeeding generations, undergoing evolution into continually changing expression over time. Although in current times artists have had to adjust to using other woods because of the decreasing availability of mpingo, African blackwood has come to be identified with Makonde art at an essential cultural level, and some artists consider the wood as a projection of their own personhood. In many communities collectives of artists can be found, often gathered in the shade of a huge sprawling tree, carving roughed-out pieces of mpingo into forms that express the history, traditions and cultures of their native lands. Even into the present time, the Makonde artist will typically work seated on the ground, using only hand tools and supporting the work against a block of wood or a thigh, foot or arm.