SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The Mijikenda peoples inhabit the coastal hinterland of Kenya. They comprise of nine subgroups of closely related people who speak mutually intelligible dialects of the Northcoast Bantu. The nine subgroups share a common history of origins and common social, cultural, economic and political institutions. The thesis begins with an outline of the history and ethnography of the Mijikenda to the present day. This provides the basis for discussion of how the manufacture of the art and artifacts are linked to social, ritual and political institutions, and how they have been modified through the colonial and post-colonial periods. Particular attention is given to sculptures in wood and in clay that are part of ritual contexts. Problems of style, aesthetics and meaning are also discussed. Finally the present state of these arts is considered and the extent to which Mijikenda artists have begun to produce for an external patronage.