For more than 2000 years, monsoon winds pushed traders from Arabia, Persia and India to the East Coast of Africa and back to their home countries. The golden ages of trade resulted in a flourishing Swahili culture around the 11th to 15th century. The upper class Swahili’s build stone houses and lavished themselves with big amounts of gold and silver jewellery. 

Today, the Lamu artisan Mohamad Omar, a self-taught silversmith continues the art of jewellery making. In his small workshop, Mohamad and his team of talented craftsmen transform raw material into elegant pieces. Asian influences can still be seen in his work.