A Samburu warrior resplendent with long, braided, Ochred hair. The round ear ornaments of the warriors are fashioned from ivory
A young Dassanech boy silhouetted against the evening sky at his settlement alongside the Omo River. Much the largest of the tribes in the Omo Valley numbering around 50, 000
During a Ngetunogh ceremony, the mothers of Pokot initiates sing and dance holding high the cowhorn containers they used to smear fat over the masks of their sons as a blessing
A Himba street vendor at Opuwo who sells Himba Jewellery, arts and crafts to passing tourists. The Himba are Herero-speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh
An old Turkana woman wearing all the finery of her tribe. In a hole pierced below her lower lip, she wears an ornament beautifully made from twisted strands of copper wire
A proud Samburu mother of two recently circumcised boys wears briefly their bird skin headdresses round her neck after they discard them during the lmuget loolbaa ceremony (the ceremony of the arrows)
A young Samburu boy sucks marrow straight from the leg bone of a cow. Marrow is a much sought-after delicacy. During every Samburu ceremony
Samburu initiates sing during the month after their circumcision. As their wounds heal, their dances become more energetic
Kenya, South Horr, Kurungu. A Samburu youth after his circumcision. The day after he has been circumcised, the initiate must hang in his pierced earlobes copper ear ornaments that are normally worn
Dressed in his black goatskin cloak, a Samburu boy puts his bundle of sticks, staves and gum on the roof of his mothers house
Up to a year before his circumcision, a Samburu boy will style his hair in a distinctive pudding bowl shape and often rub charcoal and fat into it
Laikipiak Msai
Msai warriors draw water from a deep well. The depth of wells is measured by the number of men required to bring water to the cattle troughs at the top of them
A Msai warrior with his long braids and body coated with red ochre mixed with animal fat. He has put ochre dust round his eyes to enhance his appearance ready for a dance
Detail of a Msai warriors ear ornaments and other beaded or metal adornments. The Msai practice of piercing ears in adolescence and gradually elongating the lobes is gradually dying out
A Samburu boy in reflective mood after his circumcision. A day after the ordeal, he will hang in his pierced earlobes copper earrings normally worn by married women
A Samburu youth, his head freshly shaved, has milk poured over him from a wooden gourd-like container decorated with green grass prior to his circumcision
In the early morning, a Dassanech man puts on his serval cat skin cape and ostrich-feather headdress to participate in his Dimi ceremony, an important initiation ceremony
A Dassanech man with a shock of hair.; The Omo Delta of southwest Ethiopia is one of the least accessible and least developed parts of East Africa
An elaborate hairstyle of a young Hamar man nears completion by his friend; The Hamar of Southwest Ethiopia are semi-nomadic pastoralists whose whole way of life is based on the needs of their stock
Two pretty Karo girls in traditional attire. Most girls pierce a hole below the lower lip in which they place a thin piece of metal or a nail for decoration
A Mursi woman wearing a large clay lip plate. Shortly before marriage, a girls lower lip will be pierced and progressively stretched over a year or so
A Karo man with braided hair plays a traditional stringed instrument beside the Omo River near Duss. Young men settle disputes by fighting with hippo hide whips
Towards the conclusion of a Ngetunogh ceremony, an initiate must put on his mothers jewellery for a day before removing the wild sisal face mask he has worn for 2-3 months
During a Ngetunogh ceremony, the mother of a Pokot initiate sings and dances holding high the cowhorn container she used to smear fat over the masks of her son and other boys as a blessing
At the start of a Ngetunogh ceremony, the mothers of Pokot initiates will smear animal fat on the boys masks as a blessing
A Pokot woman wearing the traditional beaded ornaments of her tribe which denote her married status. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language
Pokot men, women and girls dancing to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language
Pokot women and girls dancing to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language
A Pokot woman in traditional attire dances to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. Her broad belt is made with the metacarpus and metatarsal bones of dikdiks interspersed with beads
A Pokot warrior wearing a leopard skin jumps high in the air surrounded by women to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language
A Pokot warrior wearing a cheetah skin jumps high in the air surrounded by young women to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language
Two young Datoga boys. The youngest wears metal bells around his ankles to ensure that he does not wander far from home without his mother or another member of the family hearing him
A young Datoga boy attired in beads. The metal bells worn around his ankles ensure that he does not wander far from home without his mother or another member of the family hearing him
A Wa-Arusha warrior carries home a yoke. His brown necklace is made from aromatic wood. The Wa-Arusha are closely related to the Msai and speak the same _maa language
A Msai woman in traditional attire. The preponderance of white glass beads in her ornaments denotes that she is from the Kisongo section of the Msai, the largest clan group
Msai youth with decorated faceBlack clothing and the intricate white patterns on the face of this Msai youth of the Kisongo section signify his recent circumcision
A Samburu initiate with bird skins hanging from his headband. While their wounds heal for a month after circumcision, initiates spend their time wandering in the countryside attempting to kill as
A Samburu initiate takes aim at a bird with a blunt arrow. While their wounds heal for a month after circumcision, initiates spend their time wandering in the countryside attempting to kill as many
A Samburu mother shaves her sons head outside her home the day before he is circumcised. Round her neck hangs his nchipi - the distinctive decoration of every boy who participates in the circumcision
Mothers rub animal fat into their sons cloaks to make them supple. This task is performed shortly before the boys set out on an arduous journey to collect sticks, staves and gum to make bows
A Samburu youth is forcibly restrained after throwing a fit in the tension-filled days leading up to his circumcision. It is not uncommon for Samburu youths and warriors to succumb to hysterical
A Turkana woman sitting in the doorway of her hut. Her heavy mporro braided necklace identifies her as a married woman. Typical of her tribe
A Turkana woman, typically wearing many layers of bead necklaces and a series of hooped earrings with an pair of leaf-shaped earrrings at the front, sits in the entrance to her hut
Gabbra women sing and dance to celebrate a wedding. The traditional metal ornamentation on their heads is called malmal
Two Samburu warriors resplendent with long Ochred braids and beaded ornaments relax in typical pose beside a river bank
A Msai warrior blows a trumpet fashioned from the horn of a Greater Kudu. The strap is decorated with cowrie shells. Kudu-horn trumpets are only sounded to call men to arms or on ceremonial occasions
A back view of a Msai warrior resplendent with long ochred braids tied in a pigtail. This singular hairstyle sets him apart from other members of his society
