tonga door panel

TONGA DOOR PANEL

ZAMBESI

WOOD 

WITH CARVED GEOMETRIC PATTERNS

SIZE : 142CM(H) X 54CM X 8CM

CIRCA 1980'S

The Tonga people who live in the Zambezi Valley, are famous for their ingenuity and craftsmanship. Their doors (Koma in the Tonga language), are often crafted from the Mubimba tree, making them thick and very heavy. For centuries the Tongas have been carving doors for their huts, using a single piece of hardwood. Their principal tools for this purpose are some of the oldest tools known to man - the axe and adze. These doors afforded the tribespeople a measure of protection from the big game that abounds in the area and are believed to keep out any bad or evil spirits.