The use of leather has held significant cultural and practical value for centuries in Kenya, transcending the limitations of mere practicality.  Beyond its utilitarian value, leather is an artistic medium through which communities express their cultural identity and artistic creativity.  

At the core of leather production lie two important raw materials, namely hides and skins. Whereas hides come from larger animals, finding their purpose in larger textile creations, skins are sourced from smaller animals such as goats, sheep, and pigs, and are used for more intricate works. 

Origin Of The Use Of Hides And Skin 

Traditionally, many Kenyan communities were hunters and gatherers who relied on wildlife for food and other resources. From these endeavors, hides and skins emerged as by-products, readily available from hunted animals such as deers, antelopes, bison and colobus monkeys. Aside from hunting, pastoralist communities like the Maasai and Samburu obtained a steady supply of hides and skins from the livestock they kept such as cattle, goats, sheep, and camels. 

Preparation Of Leather From Skin And Hide 

The time-honored practice of converting hides and skins into leather is called leather tanning. First, the skin or hide is flayed using traditional knives – cleaned of all blood, fat, and flesh that cover the membrane.  

Then it is soaked to soften, especially for tough hides, before being scraped to remove all the hair and epidermis – the outer layer of the hide. Afterward, it’s stretched out to dry, and suspended on a frame, rope, or wire.  It can also be splayed on a dry surface and fastened to the ground using short poles then salt is applied to it for 21 days.  

Communities like the Maasai used fats and ghee from livestock to further stretch and soften skin. Others smoked the stretched skin over an open fire, as elements of smoke acted as tannins. The product of this tanning process is soft supple leather in its natural colour that’s set apart based on weight and size. 

Leather Use By Traditional Kenyan Communities 

The variety of leather use is as diverse as Kenya’s communities, woven into the ceremonies, craftsmanship, and daily lives of different people. Chief among these is the making of clothing, footwear, accessories, and household items. Crafting straps and sandals from cow leather is a hallmark of the Maasai, Kalenjin, and Samburu communities, while the Turkana traditionally used elephant hide softened in cow dung to make their sandals. Before the Maasai Shuka evolved to yarn fabric, Maasai clothing was made from leather.  

Leather’s versatility also extends to mask-making by the Kuria and  Duruma, apron-making by the Akamba, Tharaka, and Samburu, and jewellery-making by the Maasai. Additionally, leather is used to make household items such as bags, baskets, container lids, and mats.  

Chiefs and headmen also enjoy a good share of leather-decorated items such as royal gowns, shields, stools, and scepters – fly whisks, clubs, and walking sticks. While their headdresses are made of other materials like bird feathers, these are sewn onto a leather strap that would then be tied around the head. 

As a textile of immense cultural value, leather is used to make ceremonial attire. The Samburu and Kalenjin wear leather attire during initiation ceremonies to signify the transition from childhood to adulthood. These garments are intricately decorated and marked with symbolic patterns. 

Music is an integral element of Kenyan culture; most instruments are made of leather as the primary material. Leather is used to amplify sound in musical instruments like drums, nyatiti, and orutu – stringed instruments mainly used by the River-Lake Nilotes and Western Bantus. The Kamba people, particularly, are known for their prowess in crafting drums from animal hides so that it produces distinct rhythms and melodies that are key to their traditional celebrations. 

African warriors used leather to make shields and protective gear for battles. Leather was also instrumental in making shields and sheaths for weapons like spears and knives used in hunting. 

Leather Use In The Present 

Over the years, the leather sector in the textiles industry has changed in a myriad of ways, following the use of technology and evolving marketing trends. As a result, leather is no longer used in its raw form only. Instead, value-addition has been integrated into the industry, and leather is mixed with other materials. While most elements of its tanning process are still used, chemicals such as chrome and vegetable-based tannins have also been incorporated into the process. 

Leather is now used in various industries like upholstery, furniture, and fashion as accessories and footwear. Its manufacture supports both large-scale commerce and small handicraft business while remaining a supreme element of our cultural heritage. 

Have you crafted any items using leather? How many leather-made or decorated items do you have? Let us know in the comments! 

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