Woman with the Hand in the Back

Both the masks and the statues show the cranial elongation of the Mangbetu. This deformation is due to a compression exerted on the skull of very young children, by means of braided raffia bands. Young women comb their hair by knitting them with wickers to give firmness to the hairstyle. A band of cloth around the forehead and skull already deformed will help to highlight the hairstyle and the elongation of the head, symbol of beauty of the Mangbetu women. The statues represent the ancestors, contrary to what happens to the world of masks that is completely alien to them. These statues are honey colored, a color preferred by the Mangbetu artists. Most of the mangbetu objects are carved in light wood that are further skated dominating the honey color. Most of the pieces date from the century XX and its purpose was to be exhibited in ceremonies and celebrations organized by or in honor of the royal family.