Storage Box

Ornately carved wooden containers such as this were kept by Kuba men in present day south-central Democratic Republic of Congo to store costume accessories and items used for personal care. The carved surface of the container features the same geometric designs made popular in the woven raffia skirts and velvet panels of the Kuba. The vessel's shape is a common basketry form among the Kuba. The replication of a woven basketry artifact in carved wood is characteristic of the playful invention of Kuba personal arts.