Drum Maker Stretches Hide in Mwanza Market Hall

Pale walls reflect bright midmorning light into the deep recesses of the Mwanza market hall, casting warm, soft shadows across the workspace. A drum maker stands at eye level, hands pressing firmly against a stretched animal hide clamped to a wooden frame. The hide, transitioning from wet to dry, shows a mottled texture of tanned browns and greys against the maker's weathered skin. Fine dust motes hang suspended in the shafts of light bouncing off the concrete floor. Beside the frame, tools rest on a rough-hewn table, their metal surfaces dull under the diffuse glow. The turn of the seasons is visible in the dry, peeling patches of the hide and the heavy, loose weave of the maker's shirt. at the edge is the tension line where the hide pulls taut against the wooden edge.