William Rubel Photographs, Research, Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

Making Lmala, Samburu Milking Containers

One gourd lama, others made of wood.
The lid on this wooden lmala is very thin. On its own, an elegant piece of carving. The cap is used as a cup.
Lmala in process by a woman who specializes in wood carving.
The black interior is left by burning embers which, slowly slowly eat away at the wood facilitating fine carving.

We see here one gourd container in the upper left image, but all the others are made of wood. I took the photos of unfinished lmala in 2018 as I was walking around the manyatta in the West Gate Conservancy, where I was staying. The inside is carved out by softening the wood by burning with embers and then scraping the ash with a shallow spoon-shaped carving tool forged by a local blacksmith. Very thin walls and elegant containers are crafted using this carving system.