Object Details
- Label Text
- Pressed and incised cakes of powdered camwood (tukula) crafted by Kuba women were used as funerary gifts (mboongitool) that conveyed respect for the deceased and reflected the prestige of the deceased's family. In addition to being a token of esteem, these objects were also used as currency. Fresh camwood powder is deep red in color, but after much handling the cakes become black and shiny. For decoration, people mix the powdered camwood with oil and apply it to their skin as a cosmetic or to the surface of certain textiles.
- Description
- Square block of pressed camwood with interlace motif.
- Provenance
- Private collection, New York, before 1994
- Reynold C. Kerr, New York, 1994
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Kuba artist
- Date
- Late 19th-early 20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Reynold C. Kerr in memory of Sylvia H. Williams
- Medium
- Camwood
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 4.1 x 14.3 x 14.2 cm (1 5/8 x 5 5/8 x 5 9/16 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
