Kuba
Kasai region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central Africa
Horn
INV-8868
Kuba
Kasai region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central AfricaLate 19th-early 20th century
kuba (democratic republic of congo styleArts of AfricaCentral Africaafrican Artdrinking vesselarts of Africa
Date
Late 19th-early 20th century
Medium
Wood, copper alloy, and iron
Dimensions
30.5 × 7.7 × 45.8 cm (12 × 3 × 18 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of George F. Harding
Drinking horns and cups are among the many insignia that have denoted status in the highly hierarchical Kuba society since the kingdom’s foundation in the 17th century. This wooden sculpture—decorated with raised geometric and figural designs—imitates the horn of a buffalo, an animal that stands for the powerful, untamed wilderness and is therefore associated with both rulers and warriors.
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