Small pigment box SHOOWA (Kuba) - DR Congo

- Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Name of the tribe: SHOOWA (Kuba)
- Material: Wood
- Dimensions (in mm): 48x61x132
- Weight (in grams): 102
- Shipping method: Colissimo + Insurance

A beautiful object, delicately carved. The notch on the side was used to open the lid and is not “a flaw”; this was done intentionally. The SHOOWA (Kuba) were the only ones to implement what we call an “orientation cue” on their wooden boxes with lids. The wooden boxes were crafted by the sculptor directly on the ground using an herminette (small adze), depending on the object's size, or with sharpened blades, by scraping. It is thus easy to understand that to close the box, it was not enough to “try” to find the right match with its underside, and this without forcing, but rather to be guided by this ingenious cue. For this box, given its shape, the orientation cue served no purpose. The notch helped to open the box, which could sometimes prove difficult, as the wood expands and contracts with humidity."