Photographer: Rodger, George (1908 - 1995).
Title: Masai Circumcision Ceremony… Coming of Age in Kenya.
Date: 1978.
Country: Kenya.
Medium: unmounted gelatin silver print.
Size: 25,3 x 17,1 cm.
Condition: perfect.
Reference: GRV1130/1
Provenance: Yann Le Mouel - Drouot 2025 11 14.
Extra: Stamp and typed caption on the back.
The photograph is part of the photo series Masai Circumcision Ceremony… Coming of Age in Kenya from December 1978.
The Maasai are a semi nomadic pastural tribe of Nilotic origin and ran an area of 45.000 square miles straddling Kenya and Tanzania. Around 1970, there were approximately 300.000 Maasai living in Kenya and Tanzania. Today, the estimated number of Masai in both countries is around 1.500.000.
During pre-puberty young girls are called ‘Nditos’ although they can be engaged from birth onwards to members of the ‘Moran’ with whom they lived and had sex until puberty when they return to their mothers. At this stage they undergo a clitoridectomy (female circumcision).
George Rodger (1908–1995) was a British photographer, best known for his work as a photojournalist for Life Magazine and for his documentation of war and human societies. Rodger was one of the founders of Magnum Photos in 1947 and is often regarded as a pioneer of photojournalism, focusing on capturing both historical events and human stories in a compelling way. He became famous for his photographs during World War II, particularly of the liberation of concentration camps such as Bergen-Belsen. His images are often raw and emotionally powerful, depicting the horrors of war in a deeply human manner. After the war, he traveled extensively in Africa, photographing local populations, tribes, and cultures. His work from this period is praised for the respectful and aesthetic way in which he portrayed his subjects.
 
The photograph is part of the photo series Masai Circumcision Ceremony… Coming of Age in Kenya from December 1978.
The Masai are a semi nomadic pastural tribe of Nilotic origin and ran an area of 45.000 square miles straddling Kenya and Tanzania. Around 1970, there were approximately 300,000 Masai living in Kenya and Tanzania. Today, the estimated number of Masai in both countries is around 1,500,000.
During pre-puberty young girls are called ‘Nditos’ although they can be engaged from birth onwards to members of the ‘Moran’ with whom they lived and had sex until puberty when they return to their mothers. At this stage they undergo a clitoridectomy (female circumcision);