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Tribal Attire Collection

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: An old Himba woman

An old Himba woman, upright despite her years, rides her donkey through harsh land where mid-day temperatures rise to 400C. Her body gleams from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: !Kung women sing and clap their hands to the rhythm of their menfolk

!Kung women sing and clap their hands to the rhythm of their menfolk. The !Kung are San hunter-gatherers, often referred to as Bushmen

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: An old !Kung man

An old !Kung man. The !Kung are San hunter-gatherers, often referred to as Bushmen. They differ in appearance from the rest of black Africa having yellowish skin and being lightly boned

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: An Mtaita musician

An Mtaita musician. His glasses are made from the tips of calabashes. His ear ornaments are also made of calabashes or gourds

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A magnificent view from the eastern scarp of Africa s

A magnificent view from the eastern scarp of Africa s
A magnificent view from the eastern scarp of Africas Great Rift Valley at Losiolo, north of Maralal. From 8, 000 feet the land tumbles away 3, 000 feet into rugged valleys and a broad plain

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Msai Warrior watches a hot air balloon float over the Mara plains

A Msai Warrior watches a hot air balloon float over the Mara plains

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Samburu warrior resplendent with long, braided, Ochred hair

A Samburu warrior resplendent with long, braided, Ochred hair. The round ear ornaments of the warriors are fashioned from ivory

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A young Dassanech boy silhouetted against the evening

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Myanmar, Burma, Naga Hills. A Tangkhul Naga in his ceremonial finery celebrating the Naga New Year

Myanmar, Burma, Naga Hills. A Tangkhul Naga in his ceremonial finery celebrating the Naga New Year Festival (Kaing Bi) in Leshi village

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Hadza hunter checks the straightness of a new arrow shaft

A Hadza hunter checks the straightness of a new arrow shaft
A Hadza hunter wearing the skins of a baboon and genet cat checks the straightness of a new arrow shaft, fledged with guinea fowl feathers.The Hadzabe are a thousand-strong community of

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: The scene at a Msai manyatta south of Lake Natron

The scene at a Msai manyatta south of Lake Natron
The scene at a Msai manyatta, or homestead, as the first rays of sun herald another scorching day in an arid part of northern Tanzania, south of Lake Natron

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Himba youth with his hair styled in a long plait, known as ondatu

A Himba youth with his hair styled in a long plait, known as ondatu. Once married, he will split the ondatu into two plaits and keep them covered

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Two happy Himba girls ride a donkey to market

Two happy Himba girls ride a donkey to market. Their bodies gleam from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. Their long hair is styled in the traditional Himba way

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Himba woman milks a cow in the stock enclosure close to her home

A Himba woman milks a cow in the stock enclosure close to her home. Traditional milk containers made from hollowed wood are preferred to their modern equivalents

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Himba women perform the otjiunda dance

Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of the circle

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: !Kung hunter-gatherers pause to check a distant wild

!Kung hunter-gatherers pause to check a distant wild animal in the early morning. The !Kung are a part of the San of Southern Africa who are often referred to as Bushmen

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A band of

A band of !Kung hunter-gatherers makes a stealthy approach towards an antelope, their bows & arrows at the ready. The !Kung are a part of the San of Southern Africa who are often referred to as

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: An attractive !Kung woman

An attractive !Kung woman. The !Kung are San hunter-gatherers, often referred to as Bushmen. They differ in appearance from the rest of black Africa having yellowish skin and being lightly boned

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: An old Kikuyu lady picks coffee Taken in the 1960 s

An old Kikuyu lady picks coffee Taken in the 1960 s, this photograph depicts a traditional form of dress and ear ornaments among Kikuyu women, which has completely disappeared

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A proud Samburu mother of two recently circumcised

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)

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A young Samburu boy sucks marrow straight from the leg bone of a cow

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Samburu initiates sing during the month after their circumcision

Samburu initiates sing during the month after their circumcision. As their wounds heal, their dances become more energetic

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Kenya, South Horr, Kurungu

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Dressed in his black goatskin cloak

Dressed in his black goatskin cloak, a Samburu boy puts his bundle of sticks, staves and gum on the roof of his mothers house

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: In the weeks leading up to their circumcision

In the weeks leading up to their circumcision, Samburu boys gather frequently to sing the lebarta, a circumcision song with a slow, haunting melody whose words are ad-libbed to suit the occasion

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Up to a year before his circumcision

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Laikipiak Msai

Laikipiak Msai

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Ole Senteu Simel

Ole Senteu Simel, grandson of the famous Msai Laibon Mbatian (after which the highest peak of Mount Kenya is named), was the most respected laibon of the Msai until his death in 1986

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Msai warriors draw water from a deep well

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Msai warrior with his long braids and body coated

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Detail of a Msai warriors ear ornaments and

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Msai warrior in full battle cry

A Msai warrior in full battle cry, his long-bladed spear at the ready

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Kenya, Kajiado, lpartimaro

Kenya, Kajiado, lpartimaro. Two Msai warriors in full regalia. The headress of the man on the left is made from the mane of a lion while the one on the right is fringed with black ostrich feathers

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: During an eunoto ceremony when Msai warriors become junior elders

During an eunoto ceremony when Msai warriors become junior elders, their heads are shaved and they daub themselves with white clay

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: The traditional weaponry of the Turkana warriors consisted

The traditional weaponry of the Turkana warriors consisted of a long-shafted spear with a narrow blade, a small rectangular shield made of giraffe or buffalo hide

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Turkana man with a fine clay hairstyle

A Turkana man with a fine clay hairstyle, so typical of the southern Turkana. The black ostrich feather pompoms denote that the man belongs to the ng imor (black) moiety of his tribe

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Turkana elders wear decorative ivory lip ornaments

Turkana elders wear decorative ivory lip ornaments, secured in position by a spigot which is inserted in a hole pierced below the mans lower lip after initiation

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: The Turkana spear-fish in the shallow waters of Lake Turkana

The Turkana spear-fish in the shallow waters of Lake Turkana. The wooden shaft has a detachable metal tip with a sharp barb, which is secured to the end of a long piece of rope

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: In their dances

In their dances, Samburu warriors take it in turns to leap high in the air from a standing position without bending their knees

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Samburu warriors

Samburu warriors, spears in hand, jump into the air without bending their knees during one of their dance routines

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Samburu boy in reflective mood after his circumcision

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Samburu youth

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

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: At sunrise

At sunrise, a Samburu warrior leads baggage camels down the Milgis lugga - a wide, sandy seasonal watercourse. Water is never far below the surface of the Milgis

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Hamar woman blows a tin trumpet at a Jumping

A Hamar woman blows a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi-nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: Nyangatom men their faces and bodies with stylised

Nyangatom men their faces and bodies with stylised patterns using natural pigments obtained from chalk, ochre and crushed rock prior to a dance

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Dorze man sits outside his home smoking locally-grown

A Dorze man sits outside his home smoking locally-grown tobacco using a traditional long-stemmed pipe. Living in highlands west of the Abyssinian Rift Valley

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Borana man at Mega in southern Ethiopia wears a phallic

A Borana man at Mega in southern Ethiopia wears a phallic Kallaacha on his forehead. Made of cast aluminium and ivory or bone

Background imageTribal Attire Collection: A Mursi woman wearing a large clay lip plate

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



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