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29 UMMA Objects
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Cylindrical vessel with interlocking linear pattern carved on the interior of the lip. The body of the vessel is carved with interlocking chevrons and a fiber rope is wrapped around its neck. 
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Bowl
1885 – 1895
Museum Purchase made possible by the Friends of the Museum of Art
1985/1.161
Headrests are small furnishings, typically sculpted from wood. They frequently have a concave platform supported by legs, though the platform can also be flat and/or be supported by a central post connected to a broad base. The platform may be cushioned to provide comfort for the owner’s head, and many headrests feature complex ornamentation and sculptural details. Headrests share some of the same motifs and associations with stools, as they are constructed similarly and used for similar purposes.
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Headrest
1920 – 1930
Gift of Barry D. Maurer
1985/2.6
A seated figure with its hands to its face and its elbows resting on its knees.  The facial features and hair are traced with red lines with two round protrusions on the top of the head.
M'Bala (Mbala (culture or style))
Figure (Pindi)
1900 – 1950
Gift of David A. and Gayle Ackley, Baltimore, in memory of Gardiner and Bonnie Ackley, Ann Arbor
2016/2.9
This wooden&nbsp;figure depicts a female with a strikingly large, balloon-shaped animal skin sack tied above the crown of her head. An animal horn has been embedded within this massive sack. Representative of the northern style of Kusu carvings which is known to have sharp, angular forms, this&nbsp;<em>kakudji</em>&nbsp;features an ovoid head; a rounded, convex face and forehead; large ears; prominent cheekbones; coffeebean-shaped eyes within large ocular cavities; a well-defined, pointed nose; an elliptical mouth with slightly parted lips; a long, cylindrical neck; arms bent at the elbow, forming a 90-degree angle at the waist; and breasts that are situated nearly at shoulder level. The figure possesses a swollen belly, indicating pregnancy, and hence, representing the themes of maternity, fertility, and the continuation of the lineage. Animal skin enshrouds the female&rsquo;s lower body. Tukula powder, derived from the camwood tree and used to consecrate&nbsp;<em>kakudji</em>, appears on the figure&rsquo;s
Kusu (Kusu (Luba region style))
Power Figure
1915 – 1925
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
2005/1.223
This carved wooden figure depicts a standing male, and is one of a pair that includes a female figure also carved by the same hand. According to noted art historian Niangi Batulukisi, these two figures deviate from the classical Bembe style and are “an extreme rarity” due to the fact that they are likely connected to an ancient pre-Bembe style.<br /><br /> The male figure’s trunk is disproportionately long, while the legs are slightly flexed at the knees. His facial features includes closed eyes set in round, ocular cavities and a perfectly rounded, open mouth.  The hairstyle bears geometric motifs. Most striking, however, is that medicinal substances have been tied around the male’s entire torso--indeed from his neck to his pelvis--by tightly-wound, resin-covered strings. Moreover, a hole appears on the crown of his head, likely intended for the placement of an animal horn containing even more medicinal ingredients. A small sliver of a white shell appears across the figure’s chest. Traces of tukula powder ca
Bembe (Bembe (Kongo))
Male Figure
1865 – 1875
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
2005/1.196.2
A thin rectangular box with a lid. Four metal button-like objects are fastened on four coins from the belgian Congo—from 1921—on the base and lid of the box. There is a bulging ornate design on the center of the lid, and geometric patterns cover the entire box. One corner of the lid has a splinter broken off. 
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Box
1945 – 1955
Museum Purchase made possible by the Friends of the Museum of Art
1984/2.29
Wooden knife with a leaf shaped blade. The center of the blade has a carved line running down the length of the blade. The knife has patination. There is tukula powder rubbed on the knife. 
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Knife
1895 – 1905
Museum Purchase made possible by the Friends of the Museum of Art
1984/2.34
Cylindrical vessel with handle and a slightly buldging base. The rim is extended with faces designed on the inside of the rim's lip. There are linear design patterns wrapped around the cylinder portion of the vessel. 
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Vessel
1935 – 1945
Museum purchase
1985/2.3
This carved wooden figure depicts a standing female, and is one of a pair that includes a male figure also carved by the same hand. According to noted art historian Niangi Batulukisi, these two figures deviate from the classical Bembe style and are “an extreme rarity” due to the fact that they are likely connected to an ancient pre-Bembe style.<br /><br /> The female figure’s trunk is disproportionately long, while the legs appear stockier and are slightly flexed at the knees. Her facial features include narrow eyes set in round, ocular cavities and an open mouth. The hairstyle is of a simple design. The breasts and the umbilicus protrude outward, the shoulders curve inward, and the palms of the hand rest upon either side of the abdomen. Traces of tukula powder can be found upon the figure’s surface.<br /><br /> It is almost certain that the female figure’s torso was at one point wrapped with medicinal ingredients, just like her male counterpart. Moreover, a hole appears on the crown of her head, likely inten
Bembe (Bembe (Kongo))
Female Figure
1865 – 1875
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
2005/1.196.1
A wood box of semi-circular form, with a stylized form of a human face incised on the lid. The sides of the box, and around the face, are incised with geometric motifs, and two small holes are pierced in the lid and front of the box to fasten. The sides of the box are also covered with red powder. 
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Box
1867 – 1899
Gift of Al and Margaret Coudron
1985/1.141
Crescent shaped box with lid. Box contains various geometric patterns. The center of the lid is designed with three deeply carved lines. Covering the remainder of the lid, on both sides of the three lines, are diamond patterns formed by interlocking lines.
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Box
20th century
Gift and partial purchase from the estate of Kurt Delbanco in honor of Nicholas Delbanco
2017/1.649A-B
Globular container with circular base and cone-shaped lid. There are two tunnel-like holes symmetrically opposing, another vertically traveling through the lid down the sides of the container. Large looping circular patterns with small diamond grids are carved across the entire container.
Kuba (Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style))
Powder Flask
20th century
Gift and partial purchase from the estate of Kurt Delbanco in honor of Nicholas Delbanco
2017/1.650A-B
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