"Masaai Tribe" is a portrait that grew its own frame. The elder's face is carved into the dark heartwood of the ebony, and the pale sapwood of the same uncut block is left standing around it, so the portrait and its frame share one piece of wood. The carving renders every feature in fine detail, capturing the dignity of a respected elder in the Masaai community.
The Masaai are a semi-nomadic people of Kenya and northern Tanzania who hold family above all, and much of their art depicts family members supporting one another.
