Artefact of the Month
To Engrave Beauty (Kutia Nakshi)
Inscriptions on a Carved Door in Lamu, Kenya
The Kiswahili phrase Kutia nakshi, ‘to engrave beauty’, describes one of the most iconic artistic traditions in coastal Kenya: adorning wooden doors with inscriptions. Our Artefact of the Month is firmly rooted in this tradition and stands out at the same time: the placement of the inscription is so unusual that it is the only known extant example on the Swahili coast and surrounding regions.