Description
NDOP KUBA FIGURE Democratic Republic of Congo Wood Figure sits cross legged on a square platform (yiing). He wears a distinctive projecting hoe-shaped headdress. H.55 cm NOTE Ndop sculptures were figurative representations of various kings (nyim) of the Kuba kingdom. These sculptures often depict the ruler holding a weapon in his left hand, typically an ikul or peace knife, crafted in the style unique to the Bushoong, the predominant subgroup of the Kuba. These wooden portraits were housed in the king's chambers alongside other sculptures known as 'royal charms', which were believed to hold the king's magical powers. In the king's absence from the capital, the ndop sculptures were anointed with oil. Scholars concur that the tradition of the king's portrait statue originated in the late eighteenth century.
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NDOP KUBA FIGURE Democratic Republic of Congo Wood Figure sits cross legged on a square platform (yiing). He wears a distinctive projecting hoe-shaped headdress. H.55 cm NOTE Ndop sculptures were figurative representations of various kings (nyim) of the Kuba kingdom. These sculptures often depict the ruler holding a weapon in his left hand, typically an ikul or peace knife, crafted in the style unique to the Bushoong, the predominant subgroup of the Kuba. These wooden portraits were housed in the king's chambers alongside other sculptures known as 'royal charms', which were believed to hold the king's magical powers. In the king's absence from the capital, the ndop sculptures were anointed with oil. Scholars concur that the tradition of the king's portrait statue originated in the late eighteenth century.
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