Today I decided to stroll to dusty Maasai market and pick a thing or two.
As usual I was met with an assortment of bright coloured clothes and beaded leather.
I must commend them for the sculptures, they have lovely wood sculptures and carvings!
The clothes on the other hand... are for an occasion.
An African night.
Nothing more.
For example: There are these belts with beads that start falling out before you even give the seller money! You can see the centipede lipped boy is as hungry as hell and you want to give him loaf, but you guy... the thing is just too tired.
the inside part of the belt is rough with strings that seems to have been purposely made to peel the skin off your hips! if you intend to wear the belt in the nude.
I was about to do my usual stress test of garments - trying to pull it apart with as much force as I can- but clearly they would not have held.
So I mean it is great that people are making money, actuall a living! off these things...
But what happened to the quality? morals?
I mean spears, back in the day, had notches to show the warriors prowess; this obviously means that they lasted through battles. which = years. Many of them.
I am sure there are some that were passed down from generation to generation.
I know someone among the crowd would like to argue that Africans do not have high tech machines to make good products but you do... please appreciate the fact that the best leather shoes in the world are in fact hand made! Italian shoes.
We have a long way to go.
The upside is that this presents very interesting opportunities for people who are serious about taking African design to another level.
On a side note I really went down there to look for something dark... like the skull of a hyena reduced to fist size... you know... for scaring off evil spirits.
But clearly I will need to go to a witch doctor for this!
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!
As usual I was met with an assortment of bright coloured clothes and beaded leather.
I must commend them for the sculptures, they have lovely wood sculptures and carvings!
The clothes on the other hand... are for an occasion.
An African night.
Nothing more.
For example: There are these belts with beads that start falling out before you even give the seller money! You can see the centipede lipped boy is as hungry as hell and you want to give him loaf, but you guy... the thing is just too tired.
the inside part of the belt is rough with strings that seems to have been purposely made to peel the skin off your hips! if you intend to wear the belt in the nude.
I was about to do my usual stress test of garments - trying to pull it apart with as much force as I can- but clearly they would not have held.
So I mean it is great that people are making money, actuall a living! off these things...
But what happened to the quality? morals?
I mean spears, back in the day, had notches to show the warriors prowess; this obviously means that they lasted through battles. which = years. Many of them.
I am sure there are some that were passed down from generation to generation.
I know someone among the crowd would like to argue that Africans do not have high tech machines to make good products but you do... please appreciate the fact that the best leather shoes in the world are in fact hand made! Italian shoes.
We have a long way to go.
The upside is that this presents very interesting opportunities for people who are serious about taking African design to another level.
On a side note I really went down there to look for something dark... like the skull of a hyena reduced to fist size... you know... for scaring off evil spirits.
But clearly I will need to go to a witch doctor for this!
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!
Comments
Kenyans have pushed Kenyan standards down like you say.
outside Massai market is very broad. Could you please be more specific.