Tribal Art

Object used among the Bakongo by warriors and hunting masters, the action of this bell would be endowed with magical properties, by driving away bad influences such as witchcraft, and by encouraging its owner and his dogs. The motif at the top, carved in the round, devoid of forearm, probably refers to a prisoner. Within the Khimba initiation society or the Lemba pacifying association among the Yombe, this same type of bell, emblem of dignitary power, was used during the manipulation and activation of a Nkisi by the diviner. or Nganga in order to challenge the ancestors.
Abrasions, slight loss.

The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembe, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo group, led by King ntotela . Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the trade in ivory, copper and the slave trade. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced a statuary endowed with a codified gesture in relation to their vision of the world.
Ref. : "African Art" ed. Mazenod; "Treasures of Africa" ​​(p.309) ed. Tervuren Museum; "Black African Tribal Art." JB Bacquart; "Umbangu, Art from the Congo at the Royal Museum of the Belgian Congo" ed. Culture.