Ken Karner was born in Colorado in 1954. At nineteen he left the US on a journey which evolved into a life long African adventure and quest for things tribal.

                                   The Union Castle Royal Mail Steamer "Windsor Castle"                                             Day Naught

In 1976 Ken arrived in Cape Town travelling aboard the “Windsor Castle” on it's final voyage. There his first of many overland journeys between the Cape and Cairo began. He discarded excess baggage quickly and become a hardened traveller, while developing an urge to undertake unusual routes at the flip of a coin.

Sudan - 1977

During 1977 Ken travelled in the southern Sudan and onto Zaire with a friend. Through the Sudan they rode in the back of trucks and on the roof of trains. They entered Zaire atop an Arab’s truck loaded with  beans, and who knows what concealed there under. The hidden route was more like a track and entry was well past midnight, so these boys had no problems with visas! They found their way through what seemed like rather aggressive Mangbetu country and eventually arrived at the “bend in the river”,  Kisangani (Stanleyville).

                                                         Stanley Falls                                                              Congo River

There they attempted to purchase a canoe and embark on the voyage of a lifetime, travelling 1600 kilometres downstream to Kinshasa.

From Kinshasa, Ken steam-shipped back to Kisangani travelling 1^st class, at the cost of $12.00. Along the way he befriended Kaunda, who travelled with him into Southern Africa.

 Kaunda arrives in Zambia

They made their way east from Kisangani to Virunga National Park in the Great Lake region of Kivu. At the border of Rwanda and Tanzania, Ken and Kaunda headed south. There was an all but total absence of transport, resulting it what became an on and off again hike of  + - 500 kilometres to Zambia, travelling along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika.

Along this and other journeys, Ken began to barter personal effects for tribal artefacts, of which a number of sentimental examples remain today.

Ken set up residence in Lubumbashi, Zaire during the early 80's. There, he and his wife imported containers of consumer goods from the Far East and exported raw materials to South Africa, Europe and Asia. A Land Cruiser was purchased, which enabled them to explore Shaba and the Kasai.

Bridges!

Adventure!

Mishaps

Delay...

As far as could be ascertained, they drove one of only two vehicles to have successfully driven in and out of Kivu from Lubumbashi Zaire (Shaba) during the 1980’s.

Another escapade took Ken and friend Hans up the Angolan / Congo border, where sounds of war could be heard at night. They visited the Salampasu near Luiza and travelled west to the Lwalwa near Tshikapa. Given added drops of fuel, it would have been possible to drive to Kinshasa. This meant they would have succeeded in traversing the expanse between Lubumbashi and Kinshasa, another unheard of feat at the time.

Healers

Salampasu Villagers

                                                Alluvial Gold Panners                                                     2.64 ounce Nugget 

Kids

During 1989 Ken immigrated to South Africa. There he read an article on the Lwena published in a 1968 African Arts article by Marie-Louise Bastin. She confirmed that from the mid 19^th century, Chokwe and related peoples expanded into portions of western Zambia.

Longing for the bush, a journey was undertaken in 1990. Three months later, he returned from the field with a wealth of Mbunda, Luvale, Luchazi, Lozi and Nkoya peoples material culture. Artefacts in the region had seemingly travelled unnoticed through time. This important core tribal area had been entirely overlooked by the hoards of Zairian runners and collectors worldwide.

Zambian Camps

Zambian Old Timers

Western Zambian Pontoons

Mongu - Kalabo Ferry - Barotse plain.

Ken meticulously field collected in the area. A total of ten one month excursions were undertaken between 1990 and 1995.

Senior Chief Ndungu at Chinyama Litapi

During this period, he learned the basics of the Mbunda and Luvale peoples language, researched 19th century migration of their peoples into the areas, utilized detailed aviation maps which helped pinpoint specific tracks, tracked down each and every active Mukanda, as well as earlier chieftainships, while interviewing virtually every headman or chieftainship he encountered. A unique relationship developed with Senior Chief Ndungu of the Luvale, thanks to having rescued him from an ox cart in the plains.

Each time Ken left the area, his 1983 Cruiser looked as though the Beverly Hillbillies were passing by.

At a certain moment, word of the discovery got out. Three different South Africans entered from the south, while a Frenchman flew into Lusaka and headed west in a hired 4 x 4. Near the Angolan border, villagers alerted Ken of Zairians who had recently passed in search of tribal objects. Marc Felix visited Mongu. Manual Jordán researched the Chokwe related people in the districts of Kabompo and Zambezi. The rush was on.

By 1995 the collecting frenzy had become so heated that Ken was being offered reproductions in the centres of Mongu, Kalabo and Zambezi. At the same time, he felt he had searched out virtually every known mukanda camp in the vast area. At no time did he feel masks were kept hidden from view. His quest seemed nearly complete so he stopped going. Since that time, forgeries of high quality entered the American, European and African markets. From experience, Ken believes the bulk of what surfaces today must be considered suspect.  

As a result, Ken’s attention turned towards the tribal peoples of Southern Africa, a topic and region he remains surrounds himself with today. His search for things tribal has led to the colonial decedents of Southern Africa's past. At the same time, he has continued to field collect in Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia.

Some thing’s never die…

Above are images of the restored 83 Land Cruiser, together with a replacement.