Mangbetu figures appear to have been secular creations made for the appreciation of chiefs and other elites, including early Western patrons. This couple epitomizes an idealized beauty and aristocratic fashion of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The distinctive Mangbetu aesthetic emphasizes an elongated head and elaborate coiffures. More ephemeral and varied was the body painting that women applied with a black juice made from the gardenia plant. The repertoire of patterns created using stamps and freehand painting was unlimited, and new designs were especially admired. An application typically lasted a couple of days and was then rubbed off to be replaced by new design schemes.