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Products
Batiks, batik post cards and collage
| Jewellery as a product is made by people from every corner of the country. Kenya is a multicultural society in that we have the cultures or ethnic groups with diverse value and cultural systems. Understandably therefore the art of bead making or jewellery is not specific to a given community or region. Most jewellery has a combination of locally sourced natural materials and tends to have an authentic touch identical with the cultural background of the producers or artist. Kenya has an abundant wealth of raw materials. These range from semi precious stones, cow or goat bones, horn, wood, seeds, leather items, decorated items from kisii soapstone, imported African traditional beads from different African regions in the south, west, east and central Africa. Other materials used are copper, brass, and aluminum to mention but just a few. However, the items need to be made more neatly inorder to command ready sale in overseas market. There are some jewellery products whose products are synonymous with the product or community e.g. the Maasai community and particularly the Maasai woman present distinctly rich variety of their traditional fashion accessories. Responding to the market trends and tastes or market driven designs and demand is very crucial in the marketing of jewellery products. To this end therefore, all efforts are made to come up with creatively designed product by using semi precious and natural materials in making items like brooches, bangles, bracelets, hair ornaments, ear rings necklaces etc. The point is there is already a wide range of creatively and cultural rich design of jewellery products available from Kenya that sells at differentiated price depending on the raw materials used. Most of the producers operate in small informal groups while other individual artisans operate from their own little workshops. The production is labour intensive and requires a lot of creativity in terms of design and quality. Much of the work is accomplished using hired labour who work on piece work terms depending on the quantity of the order placed. Some of the producers are handicapped persons who find it more convenient and cost effective to operate right at their own homesteads. A majority of these people are married men and women but most of the male producer groups are young unmarried school drop outs who have come to learn the skill of making jewellery or even jewellery items from their kin and friends. The producers display a lot of creativity and unlimited talents. Jewellery making is an income generating activity that guarantees a source of income amongst the disadvantaged in various squatter areas and rural villages. Like other crafts products, what is needed is a creation of marketing opportunities both locally and overseas. To view click here |