* Tall wooden giraffe
* Full body carving
* 18" height, 2" diameter
* Brown, black, and beige color
* Hand-carved from jacaranda wood
* Handpainted pattern
* Sustainably produced
* Made in Kenya
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The Kamba tribe of Kenya is a community of skilled craftsmen. The Kamba artisans create fine pieces of hand-carved animals, wall decor, bowls, cooking utensils, and furniture. They work with a variety of materials like bamboo, wood, and metal. Wood carving is a part of Kamba spirituality. They believe God, who they call Ngai, imparts shape to all living things. Carving is seen by the Kamba people as one of Ngai's creative efforts. Traditionally, only men from the tribe carve wood.
Mutisya Munge, a Kamba man from the Wamunyu area, is known as one of the pioneers of woodcarving craft. He made sculptures of Kenyan wild animals and Maasai warriors and sold many of his hand-carved pieces to the army soldiers during the First World War in 1917. After the war ended, he returned to his hometown, where he continued making different art pieces from hand-carved wood. He initially displayed his various craft pieces from hand-carved wood in Machakos and was recognized by the Colonial Government. The display and show in Machakos generated interest in Munge's relatives and neighbors, and he started teaching them the craft. The influence of wood-crafting has since become mainstream in Kenya with a growing wood-crafting industry.
Wood carving is a primary source of livelihood in Kenya. Many artisans belong to several organizations like the Wamunyu Wood Carvers Cooperative in Machakos, promoting fair trade between artisans and consumers. This provides artisans with a sustainable source of income for their craftsmanship. Kenyans have since evolved in their craftsmanship employing the use of ethically sourced chemicals to help preserve the wood and protect it from external attacks.
KambaCarve has handpicked a collection of hand-carved items from olivewood and jacaranda wood. You can browse through our collection of salad bowls, scoops, cooking spoons, cheeseboards, and snack bowls made from olive wood. They are perfect for serving a dish or use as a salad bowl. Kamba tribe also carve animal sculptures inspired from Kenya's wildlife like giraffe, zebra and elephant from jacaranda wood. The skill and craftsmanship of the artisan can be seen in the smooth finish, natural grain, and carved details. All the products from the collection are ethically sourced.