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The Depository documents 7 techniques in Kenya; by risk level: 1 critically endangered, 1 endangered, 4 vulnerable, 1 thriving. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
The carving of naturalistic figural sculpture -- wild animals, Maasai warriors, and human figures -- by Kamba craftsmen of Wamunyu, Machakos County, Kenya, a tradition directly and precisely traceable to a single named individual innovator.
The chip-carving and relief-carving of monumental wooden doors by Swahili craftsmen of Lamu Old Town, Kenya's oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement and a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in coral stone and mangrove timber.
The hand-digging, tunneling, panning, and sorting extraction of tsavorite garnet -- a rare, vivid green gemstone considered by connoisseurs and international collectors the ultimate prize among precious stones -- by artisanal miners of the…
The weaving of spiral-pattern baskets from sisal fiber by women of the Kikuyu (Agikuyu), Kamba, and Taita communities of central and eastern Kenya.
The threading of glass beads onto wire, string, or leather strips by Maasai women of Kenya into necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and belts, one of the world's most recognized African art forms.
The forging of spearheads, knives, swords, and jewelry by Lkunono, a hereditary blacksmith clan of the Samburu people, a seminomadic, Maa-speaking pastoralist group of Kenya's central Rift Valley closely related to the Maasai.
The preparation of ugali, Kenya's national staple dish, a stiff, dense porridge made by gradually stirring maize flour (or, regionally, millet, sorghum, or cassava flour) into boiling water with a wooden spoon (mwiko) until a firm,…