African Arts Gallery

Within the Figurative sculpture of the Kuba, the prestigious objects held by members of the kuba royal family and the peripheral groups, Bushoong and Dengese, are always decorated with engraved motifs, parallel lines, intersecting, and checkerboards. The same geometric patterns, however, adorn objects for undidiidedul use, such as this headrest. Dark satin patina.
The Kuba Kingdom was founded in the 16th century by the main tribe Bushoong which is still ruled by a king, and whose capital was Nshyeeng or Mushenge.More than twenty types of tribal masks are used in the Kuba or Lightning People, with meanings and functions that vary from group to group. Ritual ceremonies were an opportunity to display decorative arts and masks, in order to honor the spirit of the deceased or to honor the king. The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of prestigious objects created for members of the high ranks of their society. Several Kuba groups produced anthropomorphic objects with refined motifs, including cuts, drinking horns and cups. The Lele s established in the west of the Kuba Kingdom, at the confluence of the Kasai and Bashilele rivers.Intercultural exchanges between the Bushoong of Kuba territory and the Leles made it difficult to allocate certain objects, as both groups use the same iconography, consisting of faces with elaborate hairstyles and geometric decorative motifs.