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A Maasai gourd nicely decorated with leather and glass beads. Such gourds were uséd to contain a yoghurty blend of milk and blood, the staple food of the Maasai herdsman. They were treasured, mended when broken, and uséd for years. The interior would be sterilized by burning. For more information and pictures, see Saitoti's "MAASAI." "The pastoral Maasai are fully nomadic, wandering in bands throughout the year and subsisting almost entirely on the meat, blood, and milk of their herds." (britannica.com) "The Maasai (or Masai) people are an East African tribe who today principally occupy the territory of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, and who speak the language of the same name. The Nilo-Saharan Maasai migrated southwards to that region in the 16/17th century CE, and they thrived thanks to their skills at animal husbandry, especially the herding of cattle. Maasai warriors are particularly famous for their height, stamina, and striking red hair and their success in warfare brought them domination of the Rift Valley grasslands. The Maasai Mara game reserve in southern Kenya is named in honour of the tribe which still lives there. Maasai status in their society was dictated and measured by how many cattle a male owned. Livestock was an indicator of prosperity and animals were commonly offered as part of a bride price, but the Maasai did sometimes lend their cattle to kinsmen in difficulties, too. In a certain sense, cattle held communities together by providing a common and mutually beneficial bond of ownership. Animals were herded by specific members of kin groups, but the whole belonged to the wider social unit irrespective of their actual geographical spread. The emphasis on cattle and the large number required to support a family did have unfortunate repercussions for the poorer members of Maasai society. In times of drought when milk was in short supply or animals even died, those with only a small herd were forced to farm or hunt for themselves, which as we have seen above, was regarded as the ultimate failure." (worldhistory.org)
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Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 56,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than $125,000 in charity auctions. Customer Service: We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we care! Handling Time: We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours. Returns: We want you to be happy with your purchase. You're welcome to return an item within 30 days in the same condition you received it--just let us know you're returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways. If your original payment was made through PayPal, we'll refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, we'll refund the credit card. Combining Shipping: You are welcome to wait to pay, and to combine multiple items for shipping. We ask that you keep each order to 10 days or 10 items, whichever comes first--then start another order. When you're ready, just send us a list of item numbers or an invoice request and we'll send you an invoice. You can pay by Paypal or credit card. U.S. Shipping: Our staff take great care in packing our artwork, much of which is antique, irregularly-shaped, and fragile. The cost of labor and the special packing materials uséd is reflected in our shipping price. Our U.S. shipping charges also include insurance; we self-insure on smaller orders. For these reasons, our shipping and handling charges may be more than the price of postage. . International Shipping: We ship dozens of international orders each week, to customers on every continent except Antarctica! The shipping charges included in our listings are for U.S. orders. Contact us for shipping charges to your country. We offer uninsured USPS First Class airmail, insured Priority airmail, and insured Express airmail to most parts of the world, depending on the weight, volume, and value of an item. We also ship via FedEx or DHL on request. Import duties, taxes, and charges are NOT INCLUDED in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding / buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up -- do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. And please do not ask us to mark merchandise values below the actual value or mark items as "gifts"--U.S. and International government regulations prohibit such behavior. Newsletter, previews and special offers: Sign up for our newsletter |
