Bidspirit auction | Old carved wooden ceremonial jar

Old carved wooden ceremonial jar - Mengbetu tribe, Congo - Old Tribal Ceremonial Wooden Jar - Mangbetu Tribe, Congo, Africa, 20th century, carved in a traditional tribal figure pattern combined with several coiled metal wires, height: 32 cm, 1.2 kg. Light wear.  * The Mangbetu are a Central African people mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known for a historical tradition of lengthening their heads by tying their skulls in infancy. This practice was a status symbol signifying intelligence and beauty. Today, they are a diverse group with a mixed economy and have largely adopted Christianity. During the second half of the nineteenth century, when the kingdom was at its most powerful, Mangbetu aristocrats surrounded themselves with a wide variety of beautifully crafted utilitarian objects - boxes, jars, stools, musical instruments and weapons. A unique tradition of anthropomorphic sculpture associated with the Mangbetu culture developed around 1900. Although such forms predate colonial presence, European patrons greatly expanded the demand for them. These works display the intricate reed-reinforced hairstyles and elongated heads once common among the Mangbetu, who used to shape the skulls of infants with gentle pressure.