Zebra Earrings Inspired by Kenya

As a family, we were lucky enough to visit Kenya, for three weeks in the Summer of 2023. Our friend Nicole, who lives in Mombasa helped us to make it all possible.

Casa Moja is her private home and along with her friend Lucinda, a chef, they hold specialised retreats, a couple of times a year. They are all slightly different, but all with the same aim; to share this stunning place with like minded people. I can highly recommend it to anyone that wants to take a week out from their hectic lives, to rest and recharge, in this beautiful location. A time to explore and to eat the most delicious food in a beautiful part of Africa.

It was a life long dream of mine to visit Africa and go on safari, in order to see all the amazing animals in the Masai Mara. We were so lucky to see the 'big five' along with a huge variety of other animals and birds. It was a trip of a lifetime, one that I will never ever forget. The scenery was breathtaking and the animals beautiful and so varied. I have to admit I still have not gone through all the thousands of photos I took. It is on my to do list and when the time is right, I will be transported back there, which will be a joy.

One of the animals we encountered were the monochrome beauties that are Zebras. These African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats, share the genus Equus with horses and asses; the three groups being the only living members of the family Equidae. Zebras generally live between 12 and 17 years.

At first it might seem like a Zebra is a Zebra, but there are three different species: Plains, Mountain, and Grevy’s Zebras. Different Zebra species have different types of stripes, from narrow to wide. In fact, the farther South on the African plains you travel, the farther apart the stripes on zebras get!

All zebras have the same basic body type; a large head, sturdy neck, long legs, a dorsal stripe along the spine and down to a tasseled tail, and a bristly mane. 

Grevy's Zebra 

Grevy’s zebras are the largest of the three Zebra species and are found in the arid and semi-arid grasslands of East Africa, and have a more solitary social structure.  Weighing from 350 to 450 kilograms and measuring up to 1.5 meters at the shoulder. Their thick necks and large, round ears give them the most mule-like physique. Grevy’s zebras also have the thinnest stripes, extending all the way down to their white belly. On their hindquarters, the stripes are vertical until above their hind legs. Key pointers are:

Narrower stripes 

A white belly

Larger more rounded ears 

A tall, upright mane and a tail with stripes running down to the hair tuft with a distinctive black dorsal stripe 

Has a brown patch above the black nose. 

Here is the beautiful art work by the late Ugo Mochi.

Mountain Zebra

Mountain zebras have vertical stripes on their neck and torso, which graduate to wider and fewer horizontal stripes on their haunches. They have a gridiron pattern on their rump, and their white underside has a dark stripe that runs the length of their belly. Mountain zebras also have a distinctive dewlap on their throat that looks a bit like an Adam’s apple. They inhabit mountainous areas in South Africa and Namibia.

Here is the beautiful art work by the late Ugo Mochi.

Plains Zebra 

Plains zebras are the most abundant and the smallest of the three Zebra species. They inhabit a much larger range of grasslands and savannah's across Eastern and Southern Africa, and live in stable harem groups. 

Some subspecies have a stripe pattern different from all others: brownish “shadow” stripes between the black stripes on their coat

Broader, thicker stripes that wrap around their body with more varied stripes (including shadow stripes) Key pointers are:

Stripes extending across the belly

Smaller and more horse-like Ears 

Smaller in size 

Here is the beautiful art work by the late Ugo Mochi.

Dazzling Stripes 

Zebra stripes come in different patterns, unique to each individual. Several theories have been proposed for the function of these patterns, with most evidence supporting them as a deterrent for biting flies. A zebra's stripes serve as a form of protection from predators. When zebras gather together, their overlapping stripes make it hard for a lion or leopard to pick out one zebra to chase. 

Zebra stripes: White with Black, or Black with White?

This is one of the most popular questions about Zebras. Zebras are generally thought to have white coats with black (or sometimes brown) stripes. That's because if you look at most Zebras, their stripes end on their belly and toward the inside of their legs, and the rest of their body is all white. However, some Zebras are born with genetic variations that make them all black with white stripes, or mostly dark with a striped pattern on just part of their coats. And as it turns out, zebras have black skin underneath their hair.

Communication

Zebras communicate with one another by using facial expressions and sounds. They make loud braying, or barking sounds and soft snorts. The position of their ears, how wide open their eyes are, and whether their mouths are open, or their teeth are bared all mean something. Ears flat back, for example, means trouble, or you better follow orders!

Illegal Hunting 

Zebras have been and are still killed for their skin, through poaching and illegal hunting, though hunting is often for meat, medicinal uses, or trophy hunting. The demand for their distinctive black-and-white striped skins is a significant threat to some Zebra populations, contributing to population declines and, in the past, the extinction of the quagga subspecies. The quagga, is a subspecies of the plains zebra, and was hunted to extinction by the late 1800s, largely for its hide. 

While I was at an Antiques Fair with my dad recently, I saw this Zebra head trophy; it reminded me how beautiful these animals are and how sad I am to think that people get pleasure from killing these gorgeous creatures.

The Grevy’s zebra is one of Africa’s most endangered large mammals. The species has undergone one of the most substantial reductions of habitat of any African mammal. Historically, they were found more widely across the Horn of Africa. Today, Grevy’s Zebra are considered extirpated in Somalia and are found only in Central and Northern Kenya and Southern and North-Eastern Ethiopia.

Grevy’s zebra are in crisis and numbers have declined rapidly. In the late 1970s, the global population of Grevy’s zebra was estimated to be 15,000 animals; present-day estimates indicate only 3,042 animals remain. In Kenya the 2018 estimate was 2,812 Grevy’s zebra and 230 in Ethiopia.

Hunting Ban 

I am happy to say Kenya has an established ban on all hunting of its wild game, including sport, trophy, and subsistence hunting, which was implemented in 1977. This ban was enacted following concerns about devastating declines in animal populations due to rampant poaching, habitat loss, and unregulated hunting practices. The ban has supported the growth of non-consumptive tourism.

I am happy to say I saw a Grevy's zebra while I was in Africa.

Designing my Zebra Earrings

While I was in France I did some designing and it is here that the concept of my Kenyan Earrings was born. Every time I walked into the centre of Montpellier, I passed this spray painted Graffiti symbol. Probably strange, but it always made me think of the two black and white striped animals Badgers and Zebras.

Here is a page from my sketchbook, that I was working on in France. I have always been interested in textures particularly dots but this time it was time to consider stripes. 

Here is where the Zebra earrings started taking shape in my mind. I took inspiration from looking straight on to the face of the zebra.

I was working out how I wanted the tops to be and how large an earring they would become. I always make paper mock ups, to attach to my ear, to see how they look. 

I settled on them being fairly large as I wanted them to be impactful.

At home we have two very old wooden Zebras. I think they belonged to my husbands family and they are really lovely.

Zebra Sketchbook 

Here you can take a look at my Zebra sketchbook layout. One of my friends gave me this Zebra jug, a few years ago. The book includes the wonderful artwork by the late french artist, Ugo Mochi.

Silver and Oxidised Silver Zebra Earrings 

Here are the finished earrings; despite their striking size and dramatic striped detailing, they remain light, comfortable and have an elegant sense of movement. 

Inspired by the bold patterns of zebras and the striking forms of traditional tribal masks, they are designed to be both eye-catching and wearable. They are sure to turn heads and become a talking point. Click here to discover my new Zebra earrings. 

I can never make anything good enough as a tribute to this remarkable, dramatic, elegant creature, so I decided they should be fun and almost cartoon like.

Africa is home to many of the world's most recognisable fauna and is home to a rich tapestry of cultures. I am so lucky to have been able to go and see these animals with my own eyes and who knows, with luck, maybe I will go again one day.