Kuba (Bakuba, Bushongo), Democratic Republic of the Congo

A Bushoong king (ndop) figure. Today, the Kuba people number 250,000 and are subdivided into a number of tribes – the Bushoong, the Ngeende, the Kete, the Lele, the Binji, the Dengese, the Mbuun and the Wongo. Each clan pays tribute to the Nyim, the king of the Bushoong ruling clan, but their internal affairs are dealt with autonomously. The Bushoong king and his court lived in a closed palace. The king was responsible for the wealth and fecundity of the people. Among the best known of Kuba art forms are royal portrait figures, ndop. They are idealized representations of the king. The headdress is a shody, a crown with a projecting visor worn only by the king or by regents. Kuba traditions maintain that if the ndop is damaged, an exact copy is made to replace it.

Material:  wood

Size:  H. 14”, W. 4”, D. 4”

Price: $170 + $25 (S&H)             [#B1K9S015]