This is such a beautiful picture of maternal love! Here is a large, beautiful hand-crafted female elephant and her baby from Kenya, East Africa. This work of art was masterfully hand-carved from a single block of richly grained teak wood by a special Akamba carver who lives in southern Kenya. The tusks in this carving are made from bone. We have personally selected this piece for its beautiful carved lines and the rich grain in the highly polished wood. These elephants can be recognized as the African variety, distinguished from its Asian cousin by the larger ears of the African breed. African elephants are wild, unpredictable and cannot be successfully domesticated. They are breath-taking to watch, and are indeed one of the leading attractions which draw tourists to Kenya. On the average, an elephant calf weighs 300 lbs. at birth. The female keeps a watchful eye on her calf and can often be seen in this exact pose, nuzzling trunks. When danger in sensed, the young elephants are immediately thrust into the center of the herd and the older adults wedge together, forming a formidable, protective ring. In rough woodsheds and under the shade of the mango trees, Akamba wood carvers work in a craft-cooperative, surrounded with sounds of chipping and sanding, men’s voices and laughter, occasional singing and the spicy, tangy smell of exotic woods. Here the craftsmen reduce single pieces of wood into useful and beautiful pieces of folk art, using only simple hand tools of axes, various-sized knives, files and sandpaper. The Akamba people are famous all over the world for their unique wood carving skills, which are passed from generation to generation. I have met Akamba men who were 5th generation wood carvers. The man who carved this piece, however, is a Master of the masters! This is not a carving that you would find in most tourist shops or in the local street markets. Wonderfully large, this elephant heirloom piece stands approx. 5-6 inches tall and 10 inches long. |