Accession Number
2005/1.208A&B

Title
Pipe

Artist(s)
Kuba

Artist Nationality
Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1900

Medium & Support
wood, copper wire, bone, brass tacks, and twool (tukula) powder

Dimensions
6 11/16 in x 17 5/16 in x 1 3/4 in (16.99 cm x 43.97 cm x 4.45 cm);6 11/16 in x 17 5/16 in x 1 3/4 in (16.99 cm x 43.97 cm x 4.45 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern

Subject matter
This handsome carved wooden pipe (ngol makey) is attributed to the Bushoong sub-group of the Kuba people, who live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although ostensibly a utilitarian object used for smoking tobacco, this pipe functioned more as an object of prestige and display. This is evidenced by both its sophisticated carving and ornamentation of brass tacks, copper wire, and camwood powder. Moreover, a variation of a royal ibol, or emblem, appears at the pipe’s base, further indicating that it was used by a high-ranking nobleman. As a prestige object, this pipe served as a visual tool by which an elite patron projected his self-image and communicated his social status to all those around him.

Reference:
Maurer, Evan M. and Niangi Batulukisi.  Spirits Embodied:  Art of the Congo, Selections from the Helmut F. Stern Collection.  Minneapolis:  The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1999.

Physical Description
The pipe consists of a long, curved stem, a bone mouthpiece, and a bowl delicately sculpted in the form of a male head. Rectangular ears protrude sideways, while a curved chin and inverted T-shaped nose jut forward. Geometric designs characteristic of Kuba carving adorn the face, neck, and coiffure. A number of brass tacks stud the pipe, and fine copper wire has been carefully wound around the stem. Camwood powder, highly prized throughout Central Africa, has been added to its surface.

Reference:
Maurer, Evan M. and Niangi Batulukisi.  Spirits Embodied:  Art of the Congo, Selections from the Helmut F. Stern Collection.  Minneapolis:  The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1999.

Primary Object Classification
Wood and Woodcarving

Primary Object Type
pipe

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
insignias (devices)
personal accessories
pipes (smoking equipment)
prestige
smoking (activity)
symbols of office or status
tobacco (material)