Ndop figure depicting Nyim Mbó Mbóosh (r. ca. 1650), Nyim Mishé miShyááng máMbúl (r. ca. 1710), or Nyim Kot áNée (r. ca. 1740)
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As a sign of royal authority and to link a monarch with a dynasty, Kuba nyim (kings) would commission portraits in the form of ndop (statues). Each nyim’s ndop would portray characteristics unique to that king. Seated on a platform-throne, this figure wears or holds royal garments, including a long-brimmed headdress, knife, cowrie belt, and armbands. Cowrie shells symbolize Wóót, the Kuba kingdom’s mythical founder. Like many ndop, this one bears a calm expression, emphasizing the Kuba people’s emphasis on kingly composure.
The Brooklyn Museum acquired this ndop in 1961, and it is now one of the most important objects in the Arts of Africa collection. Because ndop are associated with specific dynasties, this work is a significant example of specialized Kuba court art during a particular reign, while representing the regalia, prestige, and importance of a Kuba ruler. Its provenance is also one of the most complete: we can trace this ndop directly to the Kuba kingdom in 1909, the year it was gifted by nyim Kot áPe to the minister of the Belgian Congo.
Object Label
Kuba sculptors created ndop to represent the concept of leadership and contain the ruler’s life essence. Like sculptures created in pharaonic Egypt millennia earlier, ndop (literally, “statue,” a commissioned royal portrait) indicate status with royal regalia and standardized poses. Seated on a platform-throne, this figure wears or holds royal garments, including a long-brimmed headdress; knife; and a cowrie belt and armbands. Cowrie shells symbolize Wóót, the Kuba kingdom’s mythical founder. Each ndop bears the same calm expression, emphasizing the value Kuba society places on composure. This sculpture is linked to three nyim (kings): Mbó Mbóosh, Mishé miShyááng máMbúl, and Kot áNée—a reflection of how highly the Kuba prized uniformity in ndop.
Caption
Kuba (Bushoong subgroup) artist. Ndop figure depicting Nyim Mbó Mbóosh (r. ca. 1650), Nyim Mishé miShyááng máMbúl (r. ca. 1710), or Nyim Kot áNée (r. ca. 1740), ca. 1760–1780. Wood (Crossopteryx febrifuga), tukula, fiber, 19 1/2 × 8 × 10 in. (49.5 × 20.3 × 25.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, Mrs. Donald M. Oenslager, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Blum, and the Mrs. Florence A. Blum Fund, 61.33. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 61.33_front_PS2.jpg)
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Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Ndop figure depicting Nyim Mbó Mbóosh (r. ca. 1650), Nyim Mishé miShyááng máMbúl (r. ca. 1710), or Nyim Kot áNée (r. ca. 1740)
Date
ca. 1760–1780
Geography
Place made: Mushenge (Nsheng), Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Medium
Wood (Crossopteryx febrifuga), tukula, fiber
Classification
Dimensions
19 1/2 × 8 × 10 in. (49.5 × 20.3 × 25.4 cm)
Credit Line
Purchased with funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, Mrs. Donald M. Oenslager, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Blum, and the Mrs. Florence A. Blum Fund
Accession Number
61.33
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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