Contextual photo: Kuba Nyim (ruler) Kota Mbweeky III in state dress with royal drum in Mushenge
Photograph by Eliot Elisofon, 1971. EEPA EECL 2139/Eliot Elisofon Photographic
Archives/National Museum of African Art/Smithsonian Institution
Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul
Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 1760-1780 C.E. Wood
The ndop of Mishe miShyaang maMbul is part of a larger genre of figurative wood sculpture in Kuba art. These sculptures were commissioned by Kuba leaders or nyim to preserve their accomplishments for posterity. Because transmission of knowledge in this part of Africa is through oral narrative, names and histories of the past are often lost. The ndop sculptures serve as important markers of cultural ideals. They also reveal a chronological lineage through their visual signifiers.
Content:
Calm, expressionless face reflects dignity and feeling of royal distance
Sits cross-legged on raised platform
Holds a royal drum and wears a hat (presumably a crown)
Not an exact likeness or representation of the king; captures the ideal king
Objects like the drum and belt identify an individual king, and the varying geometric motifs and emblem (ibol) distinguish each reign
Other symbols capture the king’s wealth and royal lineage
Context:
Commissioned in 1710 by Kuba King Mishe miShyaang maMbul at height of his reign
Celebrates his generosity and great number of loyal subjects
Ndop is record of his reign and solidifies his accomplishments
Purchased by the Brooklyn Museum in 1961
Collected in 1909 by a colonial minister in what was then the Belgian Congo
Kuba refers to 19 distinct groups who acknowledge the same leader, the nyim
The head is considered the center of intelligence
The Kuba kingdom flourished between 17th and 19th century
Form:
Anthropomorphic figure with enlarged head, the most important part of the body
Carved out of wood
Polished wood--shiny and reddish
Intricate detailing on the arms, drums, face, and platform
Bold facial features with strong brow and closed eyes
Function:
Commemorates accomplishments of the King it portrays
Record of the King's reign
Kuba peoples did not have written historical records; instead used Ndops
Held the king’s spiritual essence, thus was carefully protected
Source of instruction and inspiration for future reign
Themes:
Images of power and authority
Life cycles
History/Memory
The human body
Cross-cultural connections:
Augustus of Prima Porta
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
Tutankhamun’s Tomb
George Washington (Jean-Antoine Houdon)
Sources:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/africa-ap/a/ndop-portrait-of-king-mishe-mishyaang-mambul
