The dhow has sailed the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf for
centuries - part of a long history of trade and cultural exchange. These are majestic wooden ships with often vast canvas sails, that carry people and goods across the region - cloves and spices from Zanzibar, mangoes from Pakistan, frankincense from Oman.

Tribal Gallery scours the coast of East Africa in search of these
graceful sailing ships after they have reached the end of their working lives at sea.

We then carefully dismantle them - lowering the towering masts, extracting the thick nails, removing the ribs and planks. Next, we begin the process to transport the wood to our workshop in Nairobi - teams of men, ropes and pulleys required to move and carry the heavy timber from the shore.

Finally, a long road trip from the coast, up from Mombasa to Tribal Gallery’s home in Nairobi. Here our master carpenters prepare the wood, split the huge beams and transform the timber into bespoke, one-of-a-kind furniture ready to take its place in wonderful lodges, hotels and homes all over the world.