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Epaya Rayo making an older form of stool referred to by some as an 'aporokocho'

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posted on 2023-11-30, 18:56 authored by Samuel DerbyshireSamuel Derbyshire
Epaya Rayo continues carving the stool for several hours, and it begins to take shape, but then disaster strikes and a crack appears in one of the legs, so it must be abandoned. The fragility of this earlier form of stool is also evident in many examples in museum collections, including those at the British Museum, which are often repaired with small pieces of wire and metal.

Funding

Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

History

Session

C011

Rights owner

Samuel Frederick Derbyshire

Cultural group

Turkana

Participants

Aman Loolio

Country

Kenya

Place

Kayapat, Turkana

Item/object

Very old form of ekichielong stool/headrest referred to by many as 'aporokocho'

Techniques of production

Cut-chip-cut

Materials

Wood-commiphora (Commiphora schimperi), Akimet a ekal, Animal-camel fat

Materials alt

ekwangorom

Social group setting

Craftsperson at work alone

Location

Bush

Temporality

This form of stool/headrest is no longer made or used in Turkana. Photographs and objects in museums around the world attest to the fact that during the late 19th and early 20th century, most men used thin, two legged stools like this. During a group discussion session in Moru Sipo, the history of this object was discussed in depth (2019LG-02-G002-0001). Some have argued that, following the early years of the 20th century, the emakuk form took over and became ubiquitous across the male population, causing women to adopt the so-called older 'aporokocho' form (the form made by Epaya Rayo here). Photographs from around the time of independence (1963) show men using a variety of emakuks and more recent forms, but none holding this older, thin, two-legged stool. No examples remain in contemporary use, and very few people remember seeing them.

Date of creation

2021-01-31

Unique ID

2019LG02-C011-0750

Usage metrics

    Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

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