Box
Kuba
Description
Subject Matter:
Kuba boxes served several purposes. Ornately decorated boxes were created as a form of competition among titled court members. Also, they were often used to hold objects such as razors for cutting raffia, personal care objects such as hairpins, as well as various ritual objects and medicinal substances.
This box is covered in tukula powder called tool or twool. Made from ground camwood, tukula is used abundantly on Kuba carvings. It was also smeared on clothing and used in times of mourning. Boxes were often used to hold tukula powder.
This box was likely made for someone of the royal family or court, perhaps even the King himself. The use of the double-knot motif, which was reserved for old families, supports this thesis.
References:
Daniel Biebuyck, The Arts of Zaire, 1985
Georges Meurant, African Textiles from the Kingdom of Kuba, 1986
Roy Sieber, African Textiles and Decorative Arts, 1972
Jan Vansina, The Children of Woot, 1978
Physical Description:
A wood box of semi-circular form, with a stylized form of a human face incised on the lid. The sides of the box, and around the face, are incised with geometric motifs, and two small holes are pierced in the lid and front of the box to fasten. The sides of the box are also covered with red powder.
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