BaKuba "People of the throwing knife"
Culture
The BaKuba are a cluster of some roughly 16 Bantu speaking peoples in central-southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. A predominately agrarian society, the BaKuba cultivate corn, cassava, millet, peanuts, bans as well as growing raffia palms. While not strictly limited to agricultural life, they also partake in hunting and fishing, two tasks which require group cooperating and serve as a unifying force among villages and communities.
Religion
For the BaKuba the worldly and the supernatural go hand in hand, and religion is tied critically with politics. Linking the two is the king of the BaKuba, who is given his throne by a divine right, allowing him to serve as the bridge between the natural and supernatural worlds.
The BaKuba religion itself is structured around spirits and gods, which are embodied in forces of nature and natural things. A great example of this would be the way in which wandering dogs are seen as messengers of the gods. A complicated network of spiritual forces are at play, and often times villages will employ diviners, who are usually women, to communicate their wrongdoings and provide insights to the village. In regards to the afterlife, the BaKuba believe in a mixture between reincarnation and purgatory, in which good souls are reincarnated into the next life, but bad ones are forced into limbo for eternity.
The Bakuba began as a conglomeration of 18 chiefdoms with no centralized authority. Then in 1625, there was political upheaval and through the conflict Shyáám áMbúl áNgoogn usurped the other ruling positions and succeeded in unifying the chiefdoms under a single person. The main political system is an aristocratic society, though it has been noted that there were efforts towards creating a meritocracy. The king of the BaKuba, called a Niym, is accountable to a court system comprised of elites from all of the initial 18 chiefdoms.
Once unified, the BaKuba profited greatly under a loose border policy which allowed for the improvement of agricultural techniques as well as improved quality of life and resources. They were also one of the first tribes in the region to grow “new world” plants such as maize, tobacco, and cassava.
The political apex of the BaKuba was in the early 19th century, and was largely unaffected by the slave trade due to it’s relative isolation compared to more coastal tribes. This was not to last however, and the BaKuba were then invaded by the Nsapo people, leaving the kingdom weaker and more fragmented, ultimately leading to the original tribes leaving the fold of the kingdom.
The BaKuba excel in both figurative sculpture and the decorative arts. Known for their raffia embroidered textiles, fiber and beaded hats, carved palm wine cups and cosmetic boxes, they are most famous for their monumental helmet masks, featuring exquisite geometric patterns, stunning fabrics, seeds, beads and shells.
The Bakuba often cover the exterior of their homes with decoratively woven matting, as the textiles of the Kuba kingdom are among the most distinctive and spectacular. They have been described as a people who cannot bear to leave a surface without ornament. The men cultivate palm to make into raffia, while the women weave the raffia into asymmetrical abstract designs that move in unexpected ways, as the patterns are usually not repeated.
Typical of their Bwoom masks are the bulging forehead, big nose and large ears (commonly associated with pygmies). Other features include, metal work on the forehead, cheeks and nose, beadwork along the eyes nose and mouth. The cowrie shells along with the beads indicate wealth and royal status. According to legend Bwoom was sent to Earth by his father (the great God - Woot), to establish the Kuba kingdom.
Since the Kuba culture is concerned with beauty; not only is art required for court and religious purposes, but everyday objects are decorated as well. The Kuba produce an amazing variety of boxes in numerous shapes. The motifs on them are derived from patterns created for exquisite embroidered raffia fabrics. Each linear, interlaced, geometric pattern has a name and a special mystic power.
During ceremonial occasions a paste of palm oil and the fine ground powder of the camwood tree is mixed in these boxes. This is painted on the body, rubbed on ancestor figures, other cult objects and corpses and is used to decorate masks and to dye raffia. Originally the boxes were also rubbed with the special paste called tukula. The tukula is termite resistant and helps to preserve the boxes.
One way in which Kuba titleholders displayed their wealth and generosity was through the distribution of large quantities of palm wine to their friends and associates. At the court, drinking vessels were a vital accessory of great symbolic value. This ornately carved wooden cup combines human and animal forms to communicate ideals of refinement and power. Its elegant facial features are well formed and symmetrically arranged, while the mouth is small and closed, reflecting the belief that careful thought should always precede speech.
The cup also depicts the Kuba aesthetic practice of shaving the hairline to frame and offset the forehead, considered the seat of wisdom and insight, and draw attention to the raised cicatrices on the temples, another sign of cultural refinement.
Large, curving horns are juxtaposed with these anthropomorphic elements. They evoke the ram, a dominant, aggressive animal that does not tolerate rivals. In the competitive atmosphere of Kuba political life, a man who embodied the dual qualities of cultivation and ambition could expect to attain impressive titles and awards..