Ndop Kuba Statue From The Kuba Ndengese Shoowa Tribe Dr Congo Kasaï African Art

Exceptional royal Ndop statue From the Kuba / Ndengese / Shoowa tribe - DR Congo Kasaï region - Circa 1930-1950
Tribe : Ndengese / Kuba / Shoowa
Country : DR Congo
Height = 28 cm
Perfect condition

Note : Image of individual kings
Although the sculptural genre appears naturalistic, ndop are not actual one-to-one representations of particular subjects, but rather a culmination of visual notations that represented the ideal characteristics of the deceased king. The reign of individual rulers are identified by a small emblem, called an ibol, at the base of the sculpture. Each ibol is rendered with a great degree of customization and personalization in an otherwise formal and naturalistic standardization. Ndop were carved in hardwood and anointed with palm oil to protect them from insects, which is unique in African art and underscores their survival in Western collections today. Ndop sculptures depict subjects sitting cross-legged, a posture that is equally unique in African sculpture.
Ndop frequently portray the ruler carrying a weapon in his left hand, an ikul or peace knife, made in the style reserved for the Bushoong, the dominant sub-group of the Kuba. The wooden portraits were kept in the king's quarters with other sculptures referred to as 'royal charms', upon which the king's magical powers rested. When the king was absent from the capital, the ndop were rubbed with oil. Scholars agree that the tradition of the king's "portrait statue" was begun in the late eighteenth century.