Kikuma (headrest) with opposing faces

Headrests with figural supports have been commissioned as symbols of royal authority connecting living leaders with prominent ancestors across the extensive Congo River watershed. Cradling the owner's neck during repose, such intimate possessions not only visually evoked lineage founders, but also facilitated spiritual communication with them through dreams. This example's broad arms and angular shoulders suggest the strength and fortitude required to uphold community values.

The faces oriented in opposing directions, truncated bodies, lobed coiffures, and widespread rectilinear arms of this headrest relate it to a corpus of around a dozen works carved during the early 20th century in northern Mbala communities. Two of these were acquired in 1907 by Hungarian ethnographer Emil Torday during his travels among the Mbala and neighboring Teke. At that time, he developed a close relationship with a prominent figure in Kolokoto known as Molime, who Torday credited as "a great wood-carver throughout the country" and whose creations he subsequently donated to the British Museum. Molime's skill in transforming raw materials into objects of power and prestige was a source of admiration in Kolokoto beyond his lifetime. Torday recounted that following Molime's death, he later "reappeared in the village" where he was credited with protecting community members during times of war.

Jenny Peruski, 2026
Assistant Curator for the Arts of Africa