Hamar Woodcarver
Arbaminch, Ethiopia 2013
A Hamar tribesman carves traditional stools at the market. Those little ‘saddle-looking’ objects??? Those are the stools or chairs that men carry with them wherever they go. The carver is sitting on one as he works. He has fashioned an umbrella from twigs. That was a good idea! I remember feeling the sun drilling into my skull. Luckily, I had my bottle of water which I soon emptied. Then I waited in the shade of a tree.
Never Leave Home Without It
You can see that this man has used his little chair for years. I think they can also be used as a neck rest for sleeping. And if worse comes to worst, it could be a weapon, couldn’t it?
Two interesting things come to me. One, why did he decide to stop his tattooing where he did? Two, did you try to sit on one of these stools. The design is seems unique to me. J.
Those aren’t tattoos. It is white ash painted on his body. I don’t know how often they must reapply it. I suppose he stopped painting at a point where he felt it looked best. I have sat on a similar stool They are comfortable but you do have to bend your legs. It’s like sitting on your heels, but better.