The Makonde people live in southeastern Tanzania. The people live very remote lives and have little contact with Tanzanian society. Read the story..
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.