Laket Kuba headdress, DRC - Lot 124

Laket Kuba headdress, DRC This type of headdress is worn on certain occasions by Kuba notables to highlight their wealth and prestige. Particularly meticulous craftsmanship characterizes this headdress. A braided skullcap made of natural fibers is stretched over the textile, which is entirely lined with harmoniously applied cowrie shells, creating a dense, regular network ending in a bouquet at the top. Originally imported as barter currency from the Indian Ocean by Haoussa merchants, these shells are a symbol of fertility and abundance. 15 x 15 cm Sold without base The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of prestige objects created for members of the highest ranks of their society. Several Kuba groups produced anthropomorphic objects with refined motifs, including cups, drinking horns and beakers. The Lele are settled 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 Lele have made the attribution of certain objects tricky, as both groups use the same iconography, composed of faces with elaborate hairstyles and geometric decorative motifs. Source: "Initiés" . Ed. Musée Dapper; "Animal" Musée Dapper; "Powerful Headdresses Africa/Asia" A. Van Custem, M. Magliani ; ed. 5Continents.