©COPYRIGHT 2005-2008 CARYATIDE75

CEO
A. Maxime Feyou de Happy
Director
Miss Mika Mocka

This exquisite fragment represents King Joao (Mani Kongo) and Queen Nzinga Kuvu of ancient Kongo.
In 14 85 a delegation of Mpinda nobles from ancient Kongo empire went to Portugal. There they studied
Portuguese and were laden with presents. When Portuguese arrived in the kingdom they observed:
“...constructed roads, imposed tolls, a monetary system, satellite states...”, including Ndola of
present day Angola. The kingdom was compared to France and Germany put together. It borders
extended to present day Gabon. The king of Kongo converted to Christianity in 1491. Persuaded
by Jesuits of the evil power of African religious symbols, he gave the order to destroy them all.
A civil war ensued. Princess Nzinga took the side of her people. Because of her opposition to the
king’s decisions Queen Nzinga effigies were vandalized. Few survived. This fragment is a
rare exception. Royal letters of king Affonso I to the Pope can be read in the following link:
www.bethel.edu/~letnie/AfricanChristianity/SSAKongoLetters.hml

Exceptional & very rare piece. Ancient Kongo Ivory fragment (c. XVIIth c.)
Provenance, New York private collection
2005