Kenya, 20th century
Gourd body with cord handles and burnt (pokerwork) decoration
15.5 cm high, 7 cm diameter at widest point
Every KOBK object is one of one and carries its age honestly. Expect marks, wear and patina as part of the piece; any specific fault is noted above. Where an object is photographed on a stand, the stand is included.
Notes
Built for carrying and storing rather than ornament, which is exactly why it holds. Among the Turkana of northern Kenya, gourd vessels like this were everyday equipment in a pastoralist life, used for milk and animal fat, hung, filled, emptied and returned to use. The scorched geometric patterning is burnt into the skin of the gourd, a decoration that survives handling because it is part of the surface rather than applied to it.
The tied handle loops and worn body keep it close to that use. A good example because it still feels functional even as a display object.
