The Makondes belong to the Bantu ethnic group and live in East Africa (Northeastern Mozambique and Southern Tanzania). In the twentieth century a small group also migrated to Kenya. They have a matriarchal societal organization. Their art is easily recognizable in the traditional Mapiko masks and wood carving of a single block of ebony or light wood sculptures.
Each sculpture is characterized by its uniqueness and its narrative value. Fundamentally there are three types:
