The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 24, 2025

Box

c. 1920

Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, unknown carver, Kuba style

Wood and tukula
Overall: 10.8 cm (4 1/4 in.)
Gift of Katherine C. White 1976.185
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Look inside this box to see traces of tukula, a red cosmetic.

Description

Over the centuries the Kuba developed a distinctive and elaborate decorative style to embellish a wide variety of personal and household objects. Each design, derived from weaving patterns, has its own name---for example the interlace is called imbol. This box held tukula, a fragrant red camwood powder that was mixed with palm oil and used as a cosmetic. The carved pattern around the sides is called bisha masongo, the "back of the wild boar."
  • Fagg, William, and Cleveland Museum of Art. 1968. African Tribal Images; the Katherine White Reswick Collection. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, no. 253.
  • Year in Review, 1976. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 1-March 6, 1977).
    CMA 1977: "Year in Review 1976," CMA Bulletin LXIV (Feb., 1977), p. 73, no. 16.
    CMA 1968: "African Tribal Images: The Katherine White Reswick Collection," cat. no. 253, repr.
  • {{cite web|title=Box|url=false|author=|year=c. 1920|access-date=24 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1976.185