The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 2, 2023

Royal Belt (yet)

possibly early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuba Kingdom, Kuba-style maker

Plant fiber, rawhide or leather, glass beads, seashells, cowrie shells, cloth, and colorant

Overall: 139.5 cm (54 15/16 in.)

John L. Severance Fund 1994.87

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

Cowry shells, a type of currency used in the Kuba Kingdom in Central Africa, decorate this belt made for a king. The intricate patterns and colors of the beads indicate the high status of the wearer as well as the wealth of his kingdom.

Description

Attributed to Kuba peoples of southeast Democratic Republic of Congo, this prestige belt boasts superb craftsmanship. The accumulation of a variety of materials indicates the high status of its wearer. It is made from leather strips and finely accessorized with a combination of intricately patterned bead designs, cowries, seashells, and bells. It would have been worn over a large raffia skirt by a man during ceremonial occasions. It was acquired from the Belgian dealer Jacques Hautelet in 1994.

Provenance
1994
Jacques Hautelet, La Jolla, CA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
1994-
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Cleveland Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions to the Cleveland Museum of Art Collection,” August 26, 1994, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
Petridis, Constantijn. South of the Sahara: selected works of African art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2003. Reproduced: cat. 36, p. 102 - 103
Nzewi, Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Second Careers : Two Tributaries in African Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2019 Mentioned: p. 22, 32; reproduced: p. 62, pl. 8. ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
Nzewi, Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Second Careers : Two Tributaries in African Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2019 Mentioned: p. 22, 32; reproduced: p. 62, pl. 8. ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 38 no. 05, May 1998 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 2 archive.org
Exhibition history

Main Gallery Rotation (gallery 108): May 11, 2010 - October 20, 2014.

Object in Focus: African Beaded Belt. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 30-June 7, 1998).

Second Careers: Two Tributaries in African Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 1, 2020-March 14, 2021).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1994.87