CategoriesCultural and Religious Styles
Art of the Congo
Sculpture, masks, textiles and modern painting from the Congo basin, home to Kongo, Luba, Kuba, Songye and many other peoples.
No works indexed yet
No open-access works for Art of the Congo are in the index yet. They will appear here as more collections are indexed.
About
The Congo basin, spanning today's Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbours, is home to hundreds of peoples, and its sculpture is among the most varied in Africa. Near the Atlantic, Kongo carvers made nkisi nkondi, wooden figures charged with medicines by a ritual specialist, with nails and blades driven in to seal oaths and activate their force. Luba artists in the south-east carved stools and headrests supported by kneeling women, and beaded memory boards called lukasa. In the Kasai region, Kuba weavers produced raffia cloths with cut-pile geometric designs, and sculptors carved ndop figures to commemorate kings. Songye kifwebe masks are scored all over with parallel grooves.
Much of this work left the region during colonial rule, especially under the Congo Free State after 1885. In the 20th century Kinshasa became a centre of popular painting, and Chéri Samba, trained as a sign painter, filled canvases with text and sharp commentary on city life.
More in Cultural and Religious Styles
Art of the Ivory Coast
Art of the Upper Paleolithic
Art of Tonga
Asante Art
Aztec Art
Bamileke Art
Benin Art
Buddhist Art and Architecture
Byzantine Art
Cambodian Art
Celtic Art
Cheyenne Art
