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VINTAGE TURKANA TRADITIONAL HAND-CARVED WOODEN UTILITY BOWL (ATERE) - KENYAUp for your consideration is an authentic, heavily field-used vintage East African ethnographic milk bowl from the pastoral Turkana people of northern Kenya. Dating from the mid-to-late 20th century, this traditional bowl (known as an Atere) was hand-carved from a single block of native hardwood and used daily for serving milk, blood, or traditional stews. This rugged, highly character-rich piece features an original integrated leather hanging loop and exceptional, historic native village repairs—including heavy iron wire staples and a hand-hammered flat metal tin plug sealing the interior base.With its raw, chiseled tool marks and deeply aged native wood grain, this piece serves as an outstanding, high-impact decorative statement for primitive art enthusiasts or rustic global home decor stagers.SPECIFICATIONS & DATA:
- Culture/Origin: Turkana People (Northern Kenya, East Africa)
- Object Typology: Traditional Milk / Food Bowl (Atere)
- Estimated Period: Mid-to-Late 20th Century
- Material: Hand-Carved Native Hardwood, Iron Staples, Tin Patch, Original Leather Cordage
- Dimensions: 13-1/2 inches (Long) x 8 inches (Wide) x 6 inches (Deep)
CONDITION ARCHIVE (AS-IS SPECIMEN):
This item exhibits heavy, authentic ethnographic wear, deep native utilitarian field use, and significant age-related wood drying. It features extensive historic village repairs including metal staples, wire ties, and a flat metal base plug. Due to natural aging and drying of the timber over the decades, the wood has cracked further along one flared end rim, running directly through a previous native repair. The historic wire reinforcement continues to hold the section securely in place and the overall form is stable for shelf display, but it contains prominent open split fractures as documented in the high-resolution detail photos.POLICIES:
We specialize in packing and shipping fragile, organic ethnographic antiquities, weathered timbers, and rustic folk art. This bowl will be wrapped securely in high-density professional cushioning materials to guarantee a safe, damage-free delivery to your gallery space. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your order, please contact us directly for an immediate, professional resolution.Thank you for looking! Please review all high-resolution photos carefully to evaluate the detailed hand-chiseled tool marks, historic village hardware repairs, and dramatic weathered character of this genuine East African tribal asset. All items ship promptly to your location.
