African Makonde Tree of Life Hand Carved Ebony Wood Statue 7 inches

African Makonde Tree of Life Hand Carved Ebony Wood Statue - 7 inches tall. Hand-carved from single wood piece made by local master craftsman in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Your purchase supports these local tradesman who work full-time carving to make a living in low income conditions. The Makonde are master carvers. The best-known works are the 'tree of life' carvings being intricately carved conjunctions of interlocking human figures representing both unity and continuity. Tree of Life sculptures are made of African Blackwood also known as mpingo. African Blackwood is an exotic wood native to Eastern Africa, and is also known as Mozambique Ebony or Senegal Ebony. It features dark brown, even purplish heartwood with dark streaks. It is an extremely hard wood, strong and stiff, very stable, with a fine texture. The sculptures, while they can take on a variety of shapes, forms, and sizes, have a number of common characteristics representing the symbolism and significance of the carvings. These sculptures are carved from a single piece of wood, can take almost a year to carve and can be as tall as 6 feet! People are often shown performing traditional tasks and local work People are often depicted climbing or holding each other up (representing support) They commonly depict members of extended family – often representing multiple generations.