Vigango

The Vigango (singular: kigango) are tall carved wooden memorial posts erected after the death of important Gohu elders in Mijikenda society. They represent one of Africa's most distinctive sculptural traditions and are now recognized internationally as significant works of art, though this recognition has created complications for their cultural significance and preservation.

Cultural Significance and Carving

A kigango is typically 5-10 feet tall and is elaborately carved from a single piece of wood, usually hardwood that resists decay. The carving work is done by specialized artisans and can take months to complete. Each post is unique, incorporating geometric and figurative designs that often encode symbolic meanings related to the deceased's status, achievements, or family identity.

The Vigango tradition is specific to the Mijikenda peoples. No other East African group produces memorial posts of similar character. The vigango are deeply embedded in Mijikenda spiritual practice and memory: they mark grave sites and serve as permanent reminders of important ancestors. They are believed to house the spirit of the deceased in some sense and are treated with respect and ritual attention.

Historical Production and Loss

Vigango were produced continuously through the precolonial and early colonial periods. However, particularly from the 1970s onward, vigango became targets of art collectors, museum curators, and dealers. Hundreds of vigango were removed from burial sites, sometimes purchased from impoverished communities, sometimes stolen outright. Western museums and private collectors now hold vigango, many removed without the consent or knowledge of the Mjikenda communities to which they belong.

Some of this removal was technically legal under colonial and post-colonial laws, as merchants and dealers purchased vigango from Mjikenda individuals. However, much of the removal violated cultural protocols and community interests, as vigango were taken from sacred contexts where they served spiritual purposes.

Commercialization and Contemporary Carving

The international market for vigango has created economic incentives for their production. Contemporary Mjikenda artists carve vigango for sale to tourists, collectors, and galleries. While this provides income, it also means that vigango are created outside their traditional context of honoring deceased elders. The meaning and cultural function of vigango created solely for commercial sale differs from that of traditionally carved posts.

Some contemporary vigango carvers maintain high artistic standards and try to preserve traditional designs and techniques. Others adapt vigango designs and simplify carving to meet perceived tourist preferences or to reduce production time.

Repatriation and Cultural Preservation

In recent decades, there has been growing activism around vigango repatriation. Mjikenda communities and cultural organizations have advocated for the return of vigango from Western museums and collections to Kenya. Some museums have responded to these demands by returning vigango to Kenya or by facilitating loans for temporary display in Kenya.

The repatriation movement reflects broader global movements toward returning cultural artifacts to their communities of origin. However, repatriation has been slow and incomplete, and many vigango remain in Western institutions.

Contemporary Status

Contemporary Vigango represent a tension between cultural tradition and commercialization, between preservation and market forces. Some vigango continue to be carved and used in traditional contexts. Others are produced primarily for commercial sale. Vigango in Western museums serve research and display functions removed from their original contexts.

Sources

Wikipedia. "Vigango." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigango
Indiana University Art Museum. "Arts of Kenya Online Collection." https://www.indiana.edu/~iuam/kenya/
Chege, Peter, and others (2012). "Vigango: The Carved Memory Posts of the Mijikenda." Journal of East African Studies.

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