Mikeka is a Swahili word which refers to woven mats. Primarily crafted by women, they are symbols of identity, tradition, and social connection. Whether laid out in homes or exchanged as gifts on special occasions, mikeka embody a heritage of artistry and communal ties, where every frond carries whispers of the past into the present.
Since the late 19th century, the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin has kept twelve mikeka from the Lamu region on the Swahili Coast of today’s Kenya. Eight of these historical mats bear interwoven Kiswahili poems in Arabic script.
Scroll down to learn about the oral and material life of mikeka, the intertwined histories and encounters they reveal and the memories and knowledge they evoke today.
