African Masks are considered to be among the most valuable and intriguing works of art in the world.  They are highly sought after by art collectors worldwide, for both their aesthetic and symbolic significance.  African masks have heavily influenced European and Western art, more than any other African art form. In the 20th century, artistic movements such as Cubism, Fauvism and Expressionism took inspiration from the widely diverse heritage of African masks. 

Mbare recently introduced four new African birds to our popular seedpod collection, which now gives you ten handmade and recycled seedpod birds to choose from! We want to give you a little more information about Raina Mazwiembiri, the artist who creates them for us. Shannon McBride spoke with Raina on her trip to Zimbabwe last Spring. 

We recently began carrying beautiful hand woven Tonga/Binga baskets from Zimbabwe.  They are named for the Binga district, one of the remotest parts of Northern Zimbabwe, which is home to the displaced Tonga people.  The Tonga, who are also referred to as “BaTonga,” today number around 500,000 people who speak their own language and are ethnically separate from the Ndebele and Shona who form the majority populations of Zimbabwe. The Tonga are also found in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. To this day, the tribe holds on to its ancient cultural beliefs, lifestyles and customs, despite enormous environmental and socio-economic challenges.