The art of Zanzibar doors

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When you walk around the tiny ancient streets of Stone Town, you will notice them for sure... beautiful carved doors locking the traditional Zanzibari homeplaces, owned once upon a time by rich merchants and traders. Such incredible and complicated carvings!

Not everybody know, but these detailed decorations have a meaning: one of the most important part of a Zanzibari house is the door, not just for safety reasons, but also as a kind of “business card” of the inhabitants.

Historically, the different areas of Stone Town where more related to a certain trade rather than others. Same way, not all doors have the same images. Styles and symbols change depending on different cultural roots. There are some recurring figures that are the key to “read” a Zanzibari door.

Flowers indicate a high class family. Chains are the symbol of a slave traders. Fishes and ropes represent a businessman dealing with fishing and vessels. Geometric shapes were for mathematicians and accountants. Beads mean jewellers. And so on…

Nearby markets, you’ll see a lot of Indian doors, built mainly for security purpose - less decorated and reinforced with dhow nails. In other areas you’ll see Arabic doors, richer in carving with visible symbols and Koranic scripts.

You need to be a good observer when you have a trip in Stone Town. So many secrets are hidden in this unique corner of the Archipelago!

Makonde carving sculpture. Back in time, discovering tribal art...

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Let's forget the label "souvenir" for a while. Tanzania's art & craft is for a large part about souvenirs, that's true. But there is history, culture and tradition even behind the wide choice of small and big items that you can find around markets and shops.

Makonde carving sculptures, for instance, are one of the most typical expressions of art in these areas. Some people love them, some people find them a bit weird... and still, maybe it's just a matter of knowing what these figures are about, and where do they come from.

Back in time, these ebony artifacts were typical of the Makonde tribe, who migrated from Mozambique to Southern Tanzania some centuries ago and still today are recognized as the best carvers of the country. The sculptures were the heart of their cultural heritage and traditional ceremony.

These days many things have become more "commercial", but this ancestral influence is still there and visible - if you know what to look for. One of the most popular figures that conserves a very traditional "taste" is the "Tree of Life" (or Ujamaa): it is a sort of tall cylinder designed by human figures climbing up and holding each other.

This kind of item, that is very popular in Tanzania, used to symbolize how villagers work together and support each other among generations. It is possible to find it in different size (from small to very big) and one of its peculiarity is that it is carved from a unique piece of wood. It requires a certain ability to get the result!

Next to traditional items, it is possible to find other sculptures having a more Western influence and taste: jewellery boxes, wildlife animals, nativity scene, etc. Also the material changed a bit, and next to the traditional ebony it is possible to find the light coconut tree and other types of wood as well.

The best places where to buy Makonde carving sculptures are Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar. On the spice island there are a lot of art & craft shops, and the best ones are located in Stone Town; but it is possible to find some good deals also in the small stands along the beaches. It depends on how many time you have to explore the locations!

In Dar es Salaam there are several places where it is possible to find good quality Makonde sculptures: Mwenge Market, Village Museum and Slipway. Least but not last, the best shops in Arusha are located between the Clock Tower and Ngoliondoi Road. Pay a visit, if you pass by there!

Tinga Tinga, the “airport art” that became a brand

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Eccentric silhouettes in glossy colors, animals, people, fruit and landscapes. Tinga tinga paintings are a very typical art in Tanzania, that it is very common especially in the coastal areas.

It is something that you can somehow find in every crafting market and curio shop, in a wide variation of small and big canvas and boards. Art for the touristic market, of course, but art with a history as well.

 "Tingatinga paintings" by Moongateclimber - Own work. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

At the beginning, around 1968, was a Tanzanian painter, Edward Said Tingatinga, who started to use several layers of bicycle paint on masonite. Just a way of producing art keeping a low cost, but creativity and unicity became soon an added value.

In fact, when Tinga Tinga passed away in 1972, many other artists started to try to reproduce the same style and figures, and the social and economic changes occurring during years made it even more various and rich.

After Tingatinga's death, his direct followers Ajaba Abdallah Mtalia, Adeusi Mandu, January Linda, Casper Tedo, Simon Mpata, and Omari Amonde tried to organize themselves. Relatives of Tingatinga also joined this group, which would be later called the "Tinga Tinga Partnership".

In 1990, the Tingatinga Partnership constituted itself into a society, renamed to Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society (TACS), which is now recognized as the most authoritative representative of this artistic current, even if just a few Tinga Tinga artists are actually members.

Tinga Tinga is a registered trademark, and TACS has been licensing its intellectual property worldwide for more than 20 years. Among its sub-licensees are BBC, Walt Disney, Penguin, Heye, FIFA and many others.

TACS art studio can be visited in Oyesterbay, Dar Es Salaam.
Everyday up to 6pm.