Turkana Hourglass Bowl from Sokomaasai.com
The Turkana people are a Nilotic-speaking community in Turkana District, located in Rift Valley Province, northwest of Kenya. They are the second largest group of pastoralists and the third largest tribe country-wide, with a population of approximately 340,000.
Despite the presence of a lake in the area, the natural climate is dry and arid, with high temperatures and unreliable rainfall. Likewise, the vegetation consists of acacia, seasonal grasses and other desert plants.
As a result of the harsh environment, the Turkana are affected by drought making survival their main objective. However, this has contributed to the Turkana being highly proud and self-sufficient, indifferent to the lures of change.
In addition to being nomads, the Turkana are skilled craftsmen who create most of the household and other items they use. The design of Turkana ornaments and artifacts is determined by the availability of materials, transportability and a historical aesthetic. All personal and household items are a balance between responses towards environment and tradition. With limited tools and material, the Turkana still manage to create beautiful artistic objects, which reflect their lifestyle and enrich their living.
As Nomads, the Turkana produce items that are functional to their lifestyle. Items must be highly portable and light due to constant re-location. Raw materials are derived from the immediate environment. However, sometimes designs are not wholly dependent on function, but derive from a shared aesthetic.
The Turkana excel at wood and leather work. The variety of vessels, bowls and utensils display impressive beauty and grace. The Hourglass Bowl is an example of an item that is both functional and beautiful, displaying the ingenuity and skill of this tribe. It is carved of one piece of Jacaranda wood until properly seasoned, making it durable and multi-functional. The bowl is oval-shaped with a deep, curved bottom.
The intricate, hourglass design carved into the centre of the bowl has beautiful symmetry. Many bowls are decoratively carved on the outside with geometrical shapes. However, due to the beauty of the Jacaranda wood, the wood from Hourglass bowl is left in its original form. Other factors that determine whether or not a bowl is decorated are the area from which it comes, and the wealth of the owner.
The wood is a chocolate brown colour with a very smooth heartwood grain and texture. Sometimes, cracks or holes that would appear at the bottom of a bowl such as this are repaired with pieces of metal which are hammered onto the wood and decorated, creating a beautiful work of art. Designs may be burned into the surface with a hot nail or piece of metal. The design of bowls is typically past down from one generation to the next. However, they vary depending on the skill and creativity of the maker. Decorations are sometimes made with red-hot poker to mark individual ownership.
As with other bowls, the Hourglass bowl makes use of Jacaranda wood and adopts a functional shape which is simple yet elegant. Women design almost all the household bowls, carving them out with great precision and patience. The bowl represents a remarkable feat of craftsmanship, since the rounded container walls are only a few millimeters thick. On the West side of Lake Turkana, most bowls are covered with black soot and polished with animal fat, thus protecting them from insect pests, giving them a fine dark sheen and preventing them from splitting.
Functions of bowls such as this among the Turkana include storage and collection of substances such as milk, blood and fat. It may also be used as an eating bowl, called “atubwa” in Turkana. Smaller bowls may therefore be used for cosmetic purposes by holding animal fat which a woman uses to grease her neck to prevent chafing from her tightly wound necklaces. Items such as these are highly valued in the community, and are used until they can no longer be repaired. For this reason, no items are discarded or sold until it is no longer useful to the woman who made and probably used it.
The rise of industrialization and population growth have had adverse effects on our natural environment. Sadly, those who suffer most from the consequences of climate change are those who contribute the least towards the problem. The Turkana have not been spared from these effects, with most of their natural habitat undergoing drastic desertification. This has resulted in increased drought and famine in the area.
Needless to say, the natural vegetation of the Turkana has diminished greatly, along with their population. This has led to a reduction in the production of several artifacts that the Turkana used to make. In addition, the community has adopted other survival tactics. For example, because of the scarcity of other raw materials, aluminum cooking pots are being melted down to make attractive, lightweight jewelry for both men and women.
However, the urban communities are keeping some of these artifacts alive by purchasing them and using them for various purposes in their households. Items such as this are more readily available in curio shops today, and are even advertised for sale on several internet sites. This shows a need in society to identify with our cultural heritage. The Hourglass bowl can have several functions in a modern household or restaurant. It may be used as a centerpiece in a dining area, or even as a fruit or salad bowl. Alternatively, it may be used in a lounge area or bedroom to display other ornaments such as glass beads or pot pouri. Displayed as a group, the Hourglass bowl can make a great feature on its own.
In as much as appreciation for the art of the Turkana pays tribute to their heritage, it is vital to obtain more information about the community. Just as an hourglass signifies passing time, artifacts such as these represent the age and heritage of a community. By appreciating the efforts and reasoning behind the Hourglass bowl and other artifacts, we are able to respect the Turkana community in a different light.
