Mangbetu Tumburu hair pin
The Mangbetu complex: refinement in African art
The Mangbetu peoples of the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo impressed early travelers with their political institutions and arts, especially their remarkable skills as builders, potters, and sculptors.
As a result, American and European explorers began collecting African Mangbetu art around the turn of the 20th century and were partly responsible for an acceleration in the production of distinctive Mangbetu anthropomorphic sculptural genres.
This small ivory hairpin skillfully presents at its top the flared hairstyle reinforced with reeds called "tumburu". As seen in the attached photos, this intricate hairstyle was worn exclusively by the Mangbetu women of the ruling class.
01544
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Circa 1920
- Size
- 16 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Bone
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection Belgium
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Very good
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The Mangbetu complex: refinement in African art
The Mangbetu peoples of the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo impressed early travelers with their political institutions and arts, especially their remarkable skills as builders, potters, and sculptors.
As a result, American and European explorers began collecting African Mangbetu art around the turn of the 20th century and were partly responsible for an acceleration in the production of distinctive Mangbetu anthropomorphic sculptural genres.
This small ivory hairpin skillfully presents at its top the flared hairstyle reinforced with reeds called "tumburu". As seen in the attached photos, this intricate hairstyle was worn exclusively by the Mangbetu women of the ruling class.