This is a beautiful decorative village mask from Kenya, East Africa. Made of African mahogany wood by an Akamba woodcarver, this piece shows the interdependence between the animal kingdom and man. This piece is totally handcrafted from a single piece of wood, and painted using natural dyes. The top of this wall hanging shows the head of an elephant, the symbol of total power. Next are three or four rows of animals. The last level contains the mask of a senior Maasai warrior (called a moran, in the Maa language). As a gift or a personal treasure, this art piece represents a combination of the old and new styles: aesthetically beautiful, typically African in detail and expression, and totally hand crafted. This woodcarving is best suited as a wall hanging. This mask is approximately 17-18 inches long x 5-6 inches wide.

Each carving is unique, so the mask you receive may not be exactly as pictured here. The differences may be the order of animals, selection of animals featured, number of tiers, etc. These variations are due to the whim of the carver and do not detract from the quality of the carving.

In rough woodsheds and under the shade of the mango trees, Akamba wood carvers work in a craft-cooperative, surrounded with sounds of chipping and sanding, men’s voices and laughter, occasional singing and the spicy, tangy smell of exotic woods. Here the craftsmen reduce single pieces of wood into useful and beautiful pieces of folk art, using only simple hand tools of axes, various-sized knives, files and sandpaper. The Akamba people are famous all over the world for their unique wood carving skills, which are passed from generation to generation. I have met Akamba men who were 5th generation wood carvers.