The motfs inscribed on the face and body of this female figure depict the traditional paintings of the ethnic group, inspired by the tattoos of the nearby Asua pygmies, which varied according to the circumstances. Among the Mangbetu from an early age, upper-class children suffered a compression of the cranial box, held tight by raffia ties. Later, the hair was 'knitted' on wicker strands and a headband would enser the forehead to bring out the hair and form this majestic headdress accentuating the elongation of the skull. The ancient names beli anthropomorphic figures embodying ancestors, stored out of sight, and comparable to those belonging to their secret society nebeli . Eroded wood. Fingerprints of treated xylophages. The Mangebetu Kingdom in northern Congo produced architectural works that impressed European visitors in the 19th century. Their furniture, weapons, adornments and statuary were imbued with a rare aesthetic quality. The ethnologist G.A. Schweinfurth in 1870 described its symmetry and refinement, while at the same time testifying to the ritual killings and human sacrifices practiced by the people of elongated heads.
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