Pre-colonial Kongo Culture

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Precolonial Kongo Culture

Introduction

The Kingdom of Kongo was one of Africa’s greatest Kingdoms of precolonial times. It was rich in history, part of which has been preserved to date via history books, artifacts, historical sites in the region where the kingdom existed, narrations, and other diverse forms of historical preservation. From these preservations of the history of the Kingdom, inferences can be made about the culture of the Kongolese people in the Kingdom times. One such cultural trait is the Kongolese’s craftsmanship skills and their love for art. The Kongolese were great craftsmen and avid art enthusiasts. Several non-textual sources reveal great works of crafted art that in some way communicate what these pieces of art meant to the people.

Trumpet

From the Stanley Collection of African Art is a large ivory trumpet from the pre-colonial Kongo. The trumpet, 110cm in height is carved from a huge ivory tusk. The trumpet is evidence of exceptional craftsmanship. It has a decoration picture of a dancing girl at the top, – the girl looks lively, arms raised and legs crossed, and a ring-like structure in the middle. The trumpet evokes great aesthesia. The dancing girl shows how much the Kongolese cherished music (which is a form of art), so much that an artist saw the need to capture the moment of a dancing girl in a trumpet carving. So much material has also been removed from the original ivory to make the support ring in the middle of the carving. This shows that so much effort was put in the making of carving, devoted craftsmanship effort. The fact that the carving is made of Ivory and not wood or any other material also means art was of great value to the Kongolese. Ivory was a precious trade commodity in pre-colonial times in the Kongo Kingdom and the owner would have easily traded it off for other products if art did not mean much to them. The carving was also found in a tomb. This showed that its owner was a person of prestige and wielded great political power. The use of artwork as a symbol of prestige and political power further proves how much value the society attached to artistic works. The trumpet reveals that the Kongolese were great craftsmen and fanatic lovers of art in its different forms; music, dance, carvings.

Staff (Mvuala)

Scepters and staves of wood and ivory, mvuala, were attributes of the authority of Kongo chiefs. They are a further demonstration of the Kongolese’s craftsmanship skills and the value they attached to their artworks. The mvuala is a sophisticated piece, evidence of the work and skills put in its making. It is a tall wood carving, 42.8 cm in height, with a figure (most likely representative of a leader) sitting at the top of what looks like a pedestal. Its eyes are enameled with chips of trade porcelain. Its cap, torso, and the staff itself are covered with intricate incised, decorative motifs. The sophistication is clear evidence of the investment in crafting the mvuala; skills, effort, time, and talent. These staffs were used by chefs as a symbol of authority. This means they were many, for the different chiefs. It then proves that this was not the work of just one craftsman. It means the society was full of craftsmen who made such sophisticated artworks. The mvualas were also carried around by messengers as a sign that the bearer was on an official errand. This demonstrates the respect that the society attributed art with through its association with official functions. The fact that these pieces of art were used as a symbol of authority further shows that artwork among the Kongolese was cherished and respected.

Cathedral of the Holy Savior

Another demonstration of Kongolese craftsmanship is the Cathedral of the Holy Savior. Built in 1549 at the heart of Mbanza City, the cathedral is a work of great architecture. The building’s walls are predominantly stones of no particular shape. In years when building and architectural work was not so advanced, the design of the cathedral built by the Kongolese is a sight to behold. Curved windows and entrance and interior decorations on the ruins of the building shown in the video are evidence of top-draw craftsmanship work and a great taste of art by the builders. Such an artistic design for a place of worship also shows how highly the society rated artwork. So much, that art had to be incorporated in building a sacred of worship. It shows that art was divine to the people.

Funerary figure

These figures are further evidence of Kongolese craftsmanship talents, skills, and devotion to artwork. Made from stone or light wood, funerary figures were carvings placed on graves to help the deceased transition to the afterlife. The carving is sophisticated, the portrait of a woman holding a child that looks dead. The woman’s face is modeled to give an expression of sorrow and devastation. The mere fact that the expression on the face of the woman in the portrait is visible is proof that whoever made the portrait was a great artist. There are so many details in the portrait, scars in the arms, a necklace around the neck, and perfect modeling that suggest that so much was put in the making of the portrait. The use of these carvings on graves further endears the point of the society’s association of artwork with divine power. It shows that the society believed that somehow, such perfect artworks would appease the gods and make their departed members transition peacefully to the afterlife.

Conclusion.

The non-textual pieces discussed, among many others, are evidence of the investment of the Kongolese people in craftsmanship and art. It is also proof of the artistic talents and skills that members of the Kongo Kingdom possessed. The use of these artworks further demonstrates how much the pieces of art meant to the people and the value the society attached to them. The people of the pre-colonial Kongo Kingdom were exceptional craftsmen who loved art avidly and valued it highly.

Bibliography

CMS582 A – Art & Life in Africa – The University of Iowa Museum of Art

https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/media/photos/show/2089?back=peoples%2fshow%2fkongoCathedral of the Holy Savior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTNJ1S0TU0CMS518 D – Art & Life in Africa – The University of Iowa Museum of Art

https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/media/photos/show/1974?back=peoples%2fshow%2fkongoCMS254 H – Art & Life in Africa – The University of Iowa Museum of Art

https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/media/photos/show/252?back=peoples%2fshow%2fkongo