The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 8, 2026

A square, dark brown wood box base, carved with four concave sides, flares outward at the corners. Viewed from above, the interior is coated in a thick layer of matte, reddish-brown tukula powder. The worn wooden rim shows small chips revealing lighter wood, particularly along the bottom edge. Subtle gray spots and streaks mark the inner surface, while the outer walls curve slightly inward beneath the wide opening.

Box base

c. 1920

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

Wood and tukula
Gift of Katherine C. White 1976.185.a
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The red residue in the bottom of the box is tukula, a powdery substance used as a 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."
  • ?–1976
    Katherine C. White
    1976–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art by gift
  • {{cite web|title=Box base|url=false|author=|year=c. 1920|access-date=08 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

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