Sculpture Captures Dignity of Kenya’s Wildlife

Cameras officially replaced shotguns on safaris in 1977 when wild game hunting was outlawed. And even though poachers continue to threaten endangered wildlife, most travelers on photo safaris prefer searching out souvenirs other than elephant tusks, impala horns and lion heads.

They are richly rewarded with an abundance of sculpted animals made of various woods and soapstone.

Produced in a wide variety of sizes and postures, the animal sculptures are charming and collectible.

They range in quality from rather crudely carved but charming, to highly refined and finely finished. Pieces reflect the beauty and dignity of the animals.

The sculptures are sold throughout Kenya and Tanzania in game park lodge shops, open-air markets and roadside stalls.

If you buy from small shops and stalls while traveling, you may meet and deal directly with artists or their families and get a better buy by bargaining than you would at fixed-price shops in Nairobi. Yet Nairobi’s shops guarantee quality and value.

Those whose safaris begin in Nairobi--and most do--can browse through the city’s craft and souvenir shops and its sizable public market to get a good overview of the kinds of animal sculptures sold in the countryside.

One Nairobi shop worth a visit is African Heritage on Kenyatta Avenue, near Muindi Mbingu Street. This fascinating shop and important cultural center sells items gathered from all regions of Africa, and produces its own line of contemporary crafts--including many with animal motifs--in workshops in Kenya and surrounding countries.

Widely considered to be one of Africa’s best sources of indigenous African art and crafts, African Heritage exports worldwide to stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus in the United States.

African Heritage has a vast selection of sculpted animals, some antique and many contemporary, some simply for decoration and others designed with function in mind.

It also has a splendid collection of African handcrafts, ranging from contemporary sisal baskets and amber and silver jewelry, to tie-dyed fashions, antique wooden grave markers and ceremonial masks.

Made of soapstone (also called Kisii stone because it is found in Kisii in western Kenya), the realistically carved lions, elephants, Cape buffalo, gazelles and impalas, rhinos and other game in sizes ranging from three inches to several feet long are sold at African Heritage. Prices range from $2 to hundreds of dollars.

Surfaces of some soapstone animal sculptures are dyed black or deep red, and markings such as zebra stripes and leopard spots are etched into the colored surface. Similarly, animal drawings are etched into the dyed surfaces of soapstone plates and platters, and animal or leaf motifs are carved in bas-relief onto the surfaces of soapstone vases (about $80 for a large size) or cups.

There are animal-motif accessories such as carved lion-head walking sticks (from about $30), shoe horns (from about $20) and necklaces of tiny carved wood zebras, lions, elephants and leopards (from about $25).

In addition to circular groupings of three- or four-foot-tall wooden giraffes (carved of blond wood with brown dye markings, priced from about $20), there are tiny giraffes perched atop swizzle sticks (about 75 cents each) or attached to wooden napkin rings (about $1 each) or forming the handles of wooden mugs (from $5). Animal sculptures designed for table tops may be purchased as a herd (giraffes only) or as a menagerie (giraffes, zebras, flamingos and other creatures). Such figures probably will not be available in game park lodges or from small-town vendors.

Traditional animal statuettes carved of African ebony are widely sold in game park lodges and town markets, but quality is usually better at Nairobi shops such as African Heritage or at Rentford Drapers on Muindi Mbingu Street near Monrovia Street. The latter shop, primarily a safari clothier, represents sculptor Sammy Ndolo, a 42-year-old artisan who lives in Machakos, about 40 miles from Nairobi. Ndolo’s beautiful carved gazelles, Cape buffalo, giraffes, hippos and other creatures range in price from $20 to $325, depending on size.

Prices quoted in this article reflect exchange rates at the time of writing.