Object Details
- Local Numbers
- F 3 KBA 9.1.3 EE 70
- General
- Title is provided by EEPA staff based on photographer's notes.
- Local Note
- 74
- Frame value is 23.
- Slide No. F 3 KBA 9.1.3 EE 70
- Photographer
- Elisofon, Eliot
- Collection Photographer
- Elisofon, Eliot
- Place
- Africa
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Topic
- Clothing and dress -- Africa
- Rites and ceremonies -- Africa
- Headdresses -- headgear -- Africa
- Regalia
- Leaders
- Photographer
- Elisofon, Eliot
- Culture
- Kuba (African people)
- See more items in
- Eliot Elisofon Field collection
- Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Congo (Democratic Republic) / EECL / Bungamba Village, Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Extent
- 1 Slides (photographs) (col.)
- Date
- 1970
- Archival Repository
- Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
- Identifier
- EEPA.1973-001, Item EEPA EECL 5201
- Type
- Archival materials
- Slides (photographs)
- Color slides
- Collection Citation
- Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution
- Collection Rights
- Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
- Genre/Form
- Color slides
- Scope and Contents
- The photograph depicts high-ranking Kuba notables wearing traditional costume, as well as symbolic adornements, for the state visit of the Nyim Kot a Mbweeky III. "The hat of the iyol is distinguished by four large rounded tufts of raffia. Sometimes the hat is disguised by feathers and skins which completely cover the head and the back of the neck. Furthermore, The type of necklace, known as ishep, is only worn by titled soldiers." [Cornet J., 1982: Art Royal Kuba, Edizioni Sipiel Milano]. "The emphasis on titleholding and the competition for and the subsequent prestige that accrues to titleholders is a dominant aspect of Kuba culture (Vansina, 1978; Binkley, 1987). Kuba hats are important visual manifestations of Kuba ideas about ethnicity and leadership. Each titled position has emblems, symbols, and praise names associated with it." [Darish P., Binkley D., 1995: Headdresses and Titleholding Among the Kuba, Crowning Achievements, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History]. During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited the village of Bungamba (Bongamba, Bongaam) between Mweka and Luebo, in the Kuba region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.
- Collection Restrictions
- Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
- Record ID
- ebl-1536955032661-1536955037626-1
