Tanzania

Ebony. Artisans make musical instruments and carve wildlife figures out of this rare African wood. The Makonde people of southern Tanzania produce some of the best carvings. Look for them in markets in the south.

Zanzibar carved furniture. Craftsmen mix Indian, Islamic, and Swahili decorative styles to carve elaborate floral and geometric designs on wooden furniture and accessories. Buy carved doors, chests, jewelry boxes, and tables at outdoor markets in Dar es Salaam.

Makonde carvings. The Makonde people of southern Tanzania are renowned for their imaginative wood carvings that depict distorted and caricatured figures. Many carvings are made from a single piece of wood and fashioned into a totem pole decorated with interlocking figures. Buy them from craft shops on the Makonde Plateau or in markets in Dar es Salaam and Arusha.

Published in March 2006. All content accurate as of press time.