© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University

ClassificationsAfrican Art

Box, Ngedi Mu Ntey

Place CreatedDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

CultureKuba

Date20th Century

MediumWood

Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett

Dimensions2 1/2 x 12 3/8 in. (6.4 x 31.5 cm)

Object number1999.003.052A/B

Label TextThroughout Africa, utilitarian items illustrate a desire to combine functional convenience with artistry through the manipulation of form, aesthetic refinement, and embellishment. Popular among the Kuba of Central Africa were intricately carved wooden boxes called "ngedi mu ntey," crafted in a variety of geometric shapes. These half-moon-shaped containers held tukula, a red camwood powder that was mixed with oil and used as a cosmetic body paint or as a dye for raffia cloth. The surface of this container has been textured with numerous interlocking linear patterns to individualize the object and elevate the humble container into an object to be admired, handled, and displayed for pleasure.
Exhibition HistoryThe Art of Collecting: Recent Acquisitions at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Michael C. Carlos Museum, November 8, 1997 - January 4, 1998
MCCM Permanent Collection Installation, Rotation 3, September 26, 1998 - Spring 2003

ProvenanceEx coll. William S. Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.

Status

Not on view

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