KUBA ART, CUPS AND OBJECTS OF PRESTIGE
The Kuba, whose name means “people of lightning”, settled during the 16th century between the Sankuru and Kasai rivers in the centre of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Kuba are believed to have moved into the region of valleys with numerous rivers running through, when they came from the east and clashed with Europeans. They then had to flee to occupy the present area and had to defend themselves against Luba invasions.
The Kuba kingdom was composed of many groups (including the Ngeendé, Kété, Lélé, Binji, Dengesé, Mbuun, etc.) and was founded by the Bushoong. The latter demanded the payment of a tribute to the “nyim”, the head of the royal Bushoong clan. As a result of the tributes paid by the villages, the sovereign and his court lived in a closed palace, “mushenge”. The king, who was head of both the kingdom and the Bushoong chieftaincy, was of divine origin, endowed with supernatural powers that he derived from ancestors or sorcery. He ensured that crops were fruitful and hunts successful, while also guaranteeing rain and child births.
The Bushoong kingdom thus influenced the Kuba in a specific royal art and each clan had a particular style. The Kuba excelled in objects of prestige for dignitaries and court officials, including boxes, cups, pipes, whistles, spoons, necklaces and patterned plant fibre fabrics. Kuba arts were considered particularly refined by Westerners from early on (the woven raphias known as “Kasai velvet” and the “ngula” powder boxes are other examples).
The anthropomorphic cups were carved with a wealth of detail, and the ornamentation of the face and neck was interpreted with precision. In one of the models on display, a pearl even adorns the forehead. Reserved for use among chiefs and public figures, the most complex decorations adoring these objects were also created with the aim of enhancing their aesthetic appeal, thus illustrating their owners’ prestige. The body makes up the base, while the human head (note the latticework pattern of the hairstyle, the sharp angles on either side of the dividing line between hair and forehead and the scarification of the temples, which were allegedly originally intended to relieve headaches and which gradually became a hallmark of the group) serves as a receptacle. Some cups could be provided with legs and hands or a double head.
Once the cups had been sculpted, their creator entrusted them to women in the workshop to perfect their appearance by coating them with palm oil and red powder, thus creating a shiny patina. Usually these cups were given palm wine, an alcoholic drink obtained by the natural fermentation of palm sap.
Chef Bushongo battant le tambour royal
Publication : Périer (Gaston-Denys), "Les Arts Populaires du Congo Belge", Brussels: Collection Nationale, 1948:opp.16
Courtesy of: Prouteaux, 1918
THE FIRE BREATHER
“The sounds of the drums echo through the village, shouts and songs merge into a highly enigmatic dance. Faces are absent, a mask covering their heads and concealing the facial gestures. On top of this animal face, all that appears are slender horns. Is it an antelope, a hyena, a crocodile or a buffalo? The composition is difficult to say. Its gaze is ferocious, holding sway over the beholder and hypnotising him with those eyes. Whoever approaches, beware: its mouth can destroy with a bite of those sharp teeth. And it might even unleash fire. Fear and fascination are felt by this tight-knit group, united by the fire breather’s power.”
Courtesy of: Fagg, Ohio, 1968
This zoomorphic wanyugo mask can release smoke or sparks during dances, which has earned it the name “fire breather”. Recognisable by its aggressive appearance with a crocodile or hyena mouth and warthog tusks, this mask was dedicated to the Bamana initiation society traditionally known as the Poro. The Poro is the pillar of community life. Responsible for the initiation and training of young boys, it aims to educate an accomplished man of society, incorporate him into the community and equip him to take on public responsibilities. Being a very powerful association, the Poro society consists of three grades and creates a spirit of fraternity and of continuous mutual aid between members of the same age group. A villager who is not initiated is excluded from the village and lose his rights as a citizen.
The helm masks are perceived by the Senufo as violent, whose powers enable them to maintain social order, celebrate death rituals and protect the initiated against disease, misfortune, and the actions of malevolent genies and antisocial sorcerers. Between the horns, a hornbill pecking a monkey has a cup on its forehead containing magical substances. A Senufo statue is on the mouth. In this peculiar world where “animal motifs and organic matter collect to form a spectacular composition, forces are driven by a series of regular sacrifices, the residues of which form a crust on the surface of the mask, making them increasingly terrifying to behold” (McNaughton, pp. 179-180).
Courtesy of: Prouteaux, 1918